Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy – Episode VII: Awakenings
by DarkBluePhoenix
Summary: A roar is heard that shatters the serene silence. New lives become muddled once again by the past. New pilots are chosen as the Evangelions are brought back online to once again prepare for battle to defend humanity from itself and a threat thought gone three years before, putting our slightly recovered friends back in the hot seat once more.
1. Chapter 1 – Just Your Average Tuesday

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 1 – Just Your Average Tuesday  
March 17, 2020 – Comfort 17 Apartments

It had been three years. Three years of peace and quiet. Three years of what some would call bliss. As for the former pilots of the Evangelions, it was simply nice to not be on the verge of dying day after day against some fucked up creature. It was nice to be normal.

The remaining Evangelions have been dormant since the Battle of the Geofront, which was waged against the JSSDF and the Mark II Evangelions, and the Rejected Third Impact. That was all due to Evangelion Unit–01, or at least, that's how the media saw it and still portrays it, as they don't know any better. So, the pilot are having a respite until they are needed again to fight for the safety of humanity, which they all hope never happens. However, sometimes things don't go as you hope they do…

So, after three years of bliss, an adoption, and a move up two flights of stairs, everyone was in an ok place. No one was perfect, but they were all coping with what they had going on, and adjusting to life without needing to save the world once a week.

Since they moved into a bigger apartment, Shinji and Asuka had shared a room, almost like a married couple. Misato didn't like the idea first, but after Asuka and Mari had yelled at her to allow them to sleep in the same room, Misato eventually relented and let them do what they wanted. So, Shinji was lying in bed next to Asuka after another night of passionate, teenaged sex, they were very tired from their activities. As Shinji woke up, he looked at Asuka sleeping and brushed some loose strands of hair out of her face. She stirred as she felt his touch and yawned loudly.

"I know you love me, baka…" Asuka mumbled. "But can you not wake me up so early?"

"It's almost nine, Asuka." Shinji replied.

"Yeah, but we were up till sunrise." Asuka replied. "So that's not a lot of sleep is it?"

"It's enough for me." Shinji said. "But I didn't mean to wake you up."

Asuka grinned. "As long as you didn't wake me up to take advantage of me, I'm not mad at you." Asuka joked. "Although…"

"Asuka, my back hurts from last night." Shinji said. "And I have laundry to do…"

"Oh, is that so?" Asuka asked playfully. "I offer my body to you, and you have chores to do? You really are an idiot."

"Asuka, stop." Shinji said. "You know that you like when I do laundry."

"Only because the spin cycle really makes it fun." Asuka joked.

"Of course I have nothing to do with it." Shinji replied sarcastically.

"Shut up, baka." Asuka said as she kissed him. "You know I'm only kidding."

"Asuka, we've known each other a long time." Shinji replied. "Of course I know you're kidding."

"So… will you tell me when the spin cycle starts?" Asuka asked.

"Are you sure?" Shinji asked.

"When am I not sure about this?" Asuka asked as she got up and immediately sat back down. "Ok… wow… maybe that can wait till the next time."

"What's wrong, Asuka?" Shinji asked. "I was only kidding."

"I'm not." Asuka replied. "I'm having trouble walking cause of you."

"So, am I in trouble for that?" Shinji asked.

"I'm not sure…" Asuka said. "Let me think about what happened last night…"

"Do you want me to get you anything?" Shinji asked. "You know… while you decide my fate and all?"

"Something frozen." Asuka said. "And you're not in trouble, baka…it's kinda hard to be mad after the best sex we've ever had."

–––

It was just past noon and Mari was still asleep. She was lying completely naked on her bed. She was snoring and drooling a bit, and grinning slightly as she lay there. However, the most interesting thing about the scene was that Mari had fallen asleep masturbating again, having left her dildo in herself after finishing herself off.

Unbeknownst to Shinji, who had collected Mari's laundry from the hallway, walked in with Mari's now cleaned laundry, and was not entirely prepared for what he saw and promptly burst out laughing, dropping her basket to the floor.

Mari stirred and looked over to him, barely awake enough to comprehend what was going on. "Why you so… loud?" Mari asked incoherently.

"Look at you!" Shinji laughed loudly. "You always do this!"

"What you mean?" Mari asked as she slowly woke up and looked down. "Oops… guess that wasn't a dream after all."

"You're naked again." Shinji said. "Every time I do this, you're always naked. But the dildo is… new."

"No its not, this thing is older than you." Mari said.

"Huh?" Shinji asked.

"I've had this thing since I was in college." Mari said as she removed the dildo and shook it at Shinji. "Ergo, it's older than you, puppy."

"But why do you have it… you know…" Shinji mumbled.

"In me?" Mari asked. "Why do you think?"

"Well… there's only one answer really…" Shinji mumbled.

"Because I got turned on by the noise you two were making last night and fell asleep before I put it away." Mari said.

"Why are you listening then?" Shinji asked. "You love music, and you have headphones."

"Yeah, but I get so wet listening to you and the princes fuck each other silly." Mari replied. "It's hard not to masturbate to you two in the throes of passion."

"You really need to get laid." Shinji said.

"The dildo works just fine, thank you very much." Mari said defensively. "Why did you look anyway?"

"Well… it's difficult to miss something so… large." Shinji said.

"Fair point." Mari said. "But you still looked at my pussy."

"Mari, we've been living together for a while, and every chance you get, you find some odd excuse to be naked. And you know Asuka gets upset when you do this." Shinji said. "I'm used to it now… it's not unexpected anymore."

"Masturbating is odd to you?" Mari asked.

"Not at all." Shinji said calmly.

"So you're used to seeing me naked."

"Unfortunately." Shinji said.

"Wow, puppy, you really know how to make a girl feel special." Mari said.

"Hey, Mari, are you ok?" Shinji asked. "Usually, you make fun of me for seeing you naked and then I leave… is something upsetting you?"

"I'm fine." Mari replied curtly.

"No you're not." Shinji said as he rummaged through her basket and pulled out a pair of pink panties. "Put these on and we'll talk."

"Shinji, I _said_ I was fine." Mari repeated.

"You know, I knew someone who used to call bullshit every time I said that." Shinji said. "So excuse me for not believing you."

"Fine…" Mari said as she pulled her panties on. "Sit down…"

Shinji sat down next to Mari and she leaned against shoulder. "It's just your sister…" Mari said quietly. "I don't know why she always says no… even after all this time…"

"Mari, have you ever thought that maybe because you loved my mom that Rei feels inadequate?" Shinji asked. "How would that make you feel?"

"I wouldn't care…" Mari said. "But I guess that would be weird. I mean, it's not like there's a roadmap of being temporally displaced."

"Yeah, but, Rei is still… unsure about a lot of things." Shinji said. "She still get confused about her emotions and stuff… I shouldn't be telling you this."

"She's still unsure about her feelings?" Mari asked.

"Well… with all the medication from Dr. Akagi out of her system, you remember her screaming, don't you?"

"Yeah… her two deaths…" Mari said. "What else happened?"

"Mari, she really never had emotions before, they were repressed." Shinji said. "She still needs time, and then to add in you and our mom…"

"It's just too much." Mari finished. "I just wish she'd let me explain. I mean, I'll always love Yui… she was my first love… the one that got away…"

"Mari, you may not want to lead with that." Shinji said. "But it's tough for her, you know. She still won't talk about Armisael, not to anyone… whatever happened was too much."

"More than two deaths?" Mari asked.

"Yeah…" Shinji said. "At least I guess so…"

"That sucks…" Mari muttered.

"Yeah, I just wish I could make her feel better…but only time can do that." Shinji said. "But can I ask you something?"

"Yeah… I guess." Mari said.

"I mean, you've never brought this up before, but this doesn't sound new." Shinji said. "I mean, how long has this been bugging you?"

"Three years." Mari said. "Since she told me that day she never loved me… I could never understand why she cut everything off… then we found out about… her life… and I just wanted to be with her… I could understand being… different… I wanted to help her, but she didn't want to be near me… have you noticed that? She never wants to be alone with me…"

"What are you talking about?" Shinji asked.

"Every time we're left together alone, like when you and Asuka went to bed… she'd get up and leave me there alone." Mari said. "Like she can't be near me."

"Mari, why didn't you say anything before now?" Shinji asked.

"I didn't think I needed help…" Mari said. "But after last night, you two disappeared, and then she sort of looked at me, closed her book, and went to her room, I just felt so shitty… and so alone."

Shinji rapped his arm around her shoulder, careful not to touch her exposed breasts. "Mari, you should have told me sooner." Shinji said. "I mean, I still owe you for helping me and Asuka figure things out."

"You'd really do that?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, I can be subtle you know." Shinji said. "But you just have to give it time."

"I know…" Mari said sullenly. "But it still sucks, it's just so unfair…"

"Mari, it'll be ok." Shinji said. "Once Rei figures things out for sure, she'll come around again. I remember the way you two looked at each other."

"Yeah, I do too, puppy." Mari said.

"Well, I know what might cheer you up." Shinji said.

"A kiss?" Mari asked.

"Did you forget who we were visiting today?" Shinji asked.

"Oh… when are we leaving?" Mari asked.

"An hour." Shinji replied. "So get ready and we can go, ok?"

"Yeah, that'll be nice." Mari sad as she kissed Shinji on the cheek. "And thanks for the talk, Shinji… it helped a bit."

–––

Asuka had been standing at Mari's doorway for several minutes and heard Shinji and Mari talking about Rei. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but the conversation was different from Mari's usual, her voice was different, almost like she was depressed. Asuka stayed until the end of the conversation, listening in from the doorway, not daring to peek inside and risk getting caught 'So, Mari is in love with Rei…but still loves Shinji's mom.' Asuka thought.

'We really are a bunch of misfits…' Asuka chuckled quietly as she slowly and painfully walked towards the living room. 'I wonder if I should ask Rei how she feels… like everyone did for Shinji and me…' Asuka thought as she traipsed off to the couch and turned on the TV.

Asuka heard Shinji come out of Mari's room and sat down next to her as a news report came on about NERV and further studies about the event deemed as Third Impact, a short excerpt of everything from three years ago, including the triumphant Unit–01 flashed on the screen, along with images of Unit–01 cutting off Lilith's arm, and of Unit–01 ripping through three MPEs.

Shinji looked at Asuka and knew what was coming.

"He wasn't the one doing all the work, assholes!" Asuka shouted at the TV. "He was late to the party as usual! He was my backup for once!" Asuka said proudly. "I was the one holding them off, cutting them to pieces while you took _your_ sweet ass time to come and give _me_ assistance."

"I know Asuka, I didn't do it myself." Shinji said, sighing exasperatedly. "Why don't you just call all the news outlets and tell them the pilot of Unit–02 was _instrumental_ in the defeat of the White Devils we had to face. I'm sure they'll take you _quite_ seriously." Shinji said back, with a smirk on his face.

"Are you giving me lip, Third Child?" Asuka yelled, her temper flaring up. "I don't like when you give me lip!"

"No, but I can if you'd like." Shinji said, looking her straight in the face, a face of pure rage.

"Why you little…" Asuka started, but was cut off by Shinji leaning in and kissing her.

After a minute he ended the kiss and leaned back onto the sofa. "That's giving you lip, Asuka." Shinji said as he smirked.

"Pervert." Asuka said crossing her arms. "Who said you could stop?" Asuka said as she moved closer to him. "Now come over here and finish what you started."

Before Shinji could answer, Mari silently popped her head above the back of the couch startling them both. "Not on the couch you two, the rest of us have to sit there you know." Mari said, glaring at two of them. "Now, go back to your room… none of us want to see that awkward teenage sex you two like to have." Mari said plopping on the couch between the couple, breaking them apart as she snuggled up to Shinji and laid her legs across Asuka's lap. "Although, I am glad my wonderful godson is getting some, lord knows the hero of the Averted Third Impact deserves some sweet, sweet lovin'."

Shinji and Asuka both turned beet red. "Goddammit Mari, get off him!" Asuka shouted. "And don't talk about us like that, you pervert!"

"You're such a prude, Asuka." Mari said with a glint in her eye as she moved to Shinji's other side. "Besides, I thought you only used the word "God" in the bedroom…"

"MARI!" Asuka screamed, reaching across Shinji to try and choke Mari, with Mari leaning back behind Shinji to hide. "I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Go ahead and try, princess." Mari said. "The Great and Powerful Shinji will protect me!"

Shinji, feeling Asuka getting angrier by the second decided to intervene. "Who wants lunch? I'm starving!"

"Shut up, Shinji, I have a large breasted bimbo to kill." Asuka said angrily. "Now move."

"Who are you calling a bimbo?" Mari said. "I'm not the one living in sin every… single… night… gack!" Mari exclaimed as Asuka was successful in pushing Shinji out of the way. "Not the face!"

"I'm not aiming for your face, four eyes!" Asuka shouted as she punched Mari's tits repeatedly. "I'm going to deck you in the tits for being a pervert!"

Shinji grabbed Asuka's waist and picked her up off Mari. "Asuka, stop! You guys have been doing great! Whoa!" Asuka's struggling caused Shinji to fall backwards off the couch, with Asuka falling on top of him. Shinji however held fast and did not let go.

"Shinji let go!" Asuka shouted. "I have to teach her a lesson… in pain!"

"Asuka, no." Shinji said as Rei walked out to see the three of them fighting.

"Oh… why is everyone so loud?" Rei asked.

"Oh, just the usual, Rei." Shinji said as he struggled against Asuka's furious flailing. "Nothing to worry about… Asuka no!"

Asuka broke free of Shinji's grip and leapt at Mari, wrapping her hands around her neck. "Why are you always such a weirdo?!" Asuka shouted.

"I just… love… messing… with you." Mari choked out as Shinji struggled to get Asuka off of her. "And… you know… what? This is… totally… making me… wet…"

"Pervert!" Asuka shouted as Shinji succeeded in pulling Asuka off Mari. "Let go of me!"

"Asuka, relax." Shinji said. "She's just messing with you."

"I… what?!" Asuka shouted.

"Come on, Asuka, she's just fucking with you." Shinji said. "And Mari, come on, you know better than to pull that stuff when those dumb news stories come on…"

"Onii–chan is right." Rei said sternly. "You are supposed to be the oldest and wisest here… yet you always act like a child."

"Rei… I…" Mari muttered. "Just having fun…"

"Onii–chan, are you still going out with Mari?" Rei asked.

"Yeah… why?" Shinji asked.

"Asuka, can you come to the store with me?" Rei asked. "I would like your opinion on some things."

Asuka calmed down and looked at Rei. "Sure…" Asuka said uneasily. "Everything ok?"

"Yes, thank you." Rei said. "Just come get me when you're ready."

"Ok…" Asuka replied as Rei walked away.

"Mari, are you ready yet?" Shinji asked.

"No…" Mari said. "And uh… Asuka?"

"What?" Asuka asked angrily.

"I'm sorry." Mari said. "I just thought it would be a bit of fun… I know you almost died out there… I should have been more…"

"Oh stop." Asuka said. "Just stop being so weird about me and Shinji having sex… I don't like people knowing about… it."

"Sorry…" Mari said sullenly as she walked away.

"What's her problem anyway?" Asuka asked. "I mean… is it because of Rei might overhear her?"

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.

"I heard the conversation, dummkopf." Asuka said. "You don't have to hide it from me… I know she loves your sister and your mom… wow that sounded better in head."

"I bet it did." Shinji replied. "So… you eavesdropped?"

"Not on purpose, baka, it just happened." Asuka said. "But…. I mean, that wasn't like her at all. She said sorry so fast… and I barely hit her or anything…"

"I'm worried about her." Shinji said. "She was so weird this morning, she didn't make fun of me like she usually did. It's like Rei ignoring her is breaking her heart…"

"Maybe I could try talking to Rei?" Asuka suggested. "She listens to me… I think."

"It can't do any more harm than those two are doing to each other." Shinji said. "I just don't get why after all this time, she's just telling me about what's bothering her now."

"Maybe something set her off." Asuka suggested. "I mean, she's told us so much about her life… maybe today is just one of those days, like when Rei has those dreams."

"I guess." Shinji said. "But us going up for a visit should cheer her up. She always put on a bright smile just for him."

"And I don't know where Rei wants to go, but I'll see if I can get why her and Mari are… weird around each other. Rei leaving when it's just her and Mari sounds kinda mean…"

"Wow, you already told her?" Mari asked from behind them.

"It's not like that, Mari." Asuka said. "I just overheard everything."

"So… what?" Mari asked.

"Look, I don't get why everything has to be so weird between you guys, but Shinji's right, Rei will come around eventually… I… I just want you both to be happy." Asuka said.

"Do you really mean that?" Mari asked.

"Look, we may fight a lot, but I still care about you, you big dummy." Asuka replied. "I mean, you're like that big, annoying sister I love and hate all at once."

"Asuka…" Shinji mumbled.

"Princess…" Mari mumbled. "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me…"

"It can't be." Asuka replied. "I mean… everything I said is true."

"Thanks, Asuka." Mari said. "It really means a lot to hear you say that."

"Don't make a big deal out of it." Asuka said. "Have fun, and say hi."

"We will." Mari said. "Later, Asuka."

"Bye, Asuka." Shinji said to her followed by a kiss. "See you later."

"Yeah, just drive safe, ok?" Asuka asked.

"I always do." Shinji said.

"Even in Kaji's old car?" Asuka asked.

"Especially in Kaji's old car." Shinji replied as he left. As he got out to the main walkway, he saw Mari waiting for the elevator. He stood next to her and gave her a look of concern.

"So, what's up with you today?" Shinji asked.

"Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day I met your mom for the first time." Mari said. "Twenty–four years ago… it just got me thinking is all."

"What do you mean met?" Shinji asked as the elevator doors opened up.

"Well… I walked past her as she was going to see Fuyutsuki after I'd just left his office." Mari said as they walked into the elevator. "She just looked so beautiful…"

"Is that the same day you explained the whole soul transfer thing?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah… it sort of spiraled into that…" Mari muttered. "This all happened because I wanted my parents back… like a stupid little girl…"

"Mari, don't think like that." Shinji said as the elevator dinged on the ground floor and they exited. "It was natural for you to want your parents back. What they did with your research isn't your fault… they used it to try and play god… but I'm still thankful."

"How is that?" Mari asked.

"Well… your research gave me my sister." Shinji said. "And you."

"Stop trying to make me feel better." Mari said gruffly as they got to Kaji's old Ferrari.

"What, it's true." Shinji said as they got in. "It's called looking on the bright side, Mari."

"You're really weird." Mari said.

"No, I'm just trying to be happy." Shinji said. "I mean, Asuka still doesn't know about me doing sync tests and stuff."

"How does she not smell the LCL?" Mari asked. "It's not like it's a normal, mundane smell."

"I shower three times." Shinji said.

"Don't you have one of those sync tests today?" Mari asked.

"Nope." Shinji said. "Maya pushed it off because she's refitting the shoulder pylons or something. New weapons or whatever for Unit–01 and Unit–02."

"So, we're going right home after the visit?" Mari asked.

"Of course." Shinji replied as they drove off towards the highway.

–––

While Shinji and Mari took their drive out of town, Asuka and Rei had gone to the store. As they were looking around the department store, it became apparent to Asuka that Rei simply wanted to get out of the apartment, and in her usual overly subtle way, wanted to spend some time with her best friend without asking to spend time with her best friend.

"Rei… are you looking for anything specific?" Asuka asked kindly.

"No, I'm just looking around." Rei said.

"You know, if you want to just hang out, you could just ask." Asuka said. "You don't have to make up things for us to do."

"I prefer doing this." Rei said. "Doing nothing… makes me uneasy."

"Just watching TV or something?" Asuka asked.

"No, just hanging out." Rei said. "I just like going out and doing things."

"What if we just talked?" Asuka said. "You always talk with Shinji."

"I… I appreciate onii–chan's guidance." Rei said.

"What, your best friend can't give you some sound advice?" Asuka asked.

"I did not know that was part of it." Rei said.

"Well… I mean in the past three years I never really made it a priority to just talk with you." Asuka said. "So it's basically my fault."

"No, I should understand more of the subtleties of human interaction by now." Rei said. "I should know a best friend can also be a… confidant."

"So, instead of looking around here, why don't we go get lunch and talk, ok?" Asuka suggested. "How's that sound?"

"Good, because I am quite hungry." Rei replied as the pair of them walked towards the food court.

"Hey, do you want some ramen?" Asuka asked. "Or would you rather have something else?"

"Ramen is good." Rei said. "I always enjoy seeing how much meat you can have crammed in such a small bowl." Rei smiled. "Why don't I find a table?"

"Sure thing." Asuka said. "What do you want though?"

"I'll have two bowls of tofu ramen, please." Rei said politely.

"Ok." Asuka said as she walked off.

Rei looked around for a nice table away from anyone could overhear them, and by the time she settled on a table, Asuka had returned with a tray of food for them with drinks.

"I forgot to ask what you wanted to drink, but then I figured green tea would work." Asuka said.

"That is fine." Rei said as she took her food. "Thank you."

"Hey, it's no problem." Asuka said.

So, the two began eating in silence, slowly going through the bowls of ramen. They kept looking at each other, with neither saying anything until the last bit of ramen had been eaten.

"Rei, can I ask you a question?" Asuka asked.

"Sure, Asuka." Rei replied.

"It's about you and Mari." Asuka said. "I mean… I remember when you guys were getting very close… why did that… stop?"

"Well… after my death and rebirth, I wanted to distance myself from everyone." Rei said. "So I told her I never loved her and I broke her heart to save her from my eventual death."

"Rei, that was a little… harsh." Asuka commented.

"It had to be done." Rei said.

"Well, why haven't you fixed things?" Asuka asked. "I mean, it's been three years."

"After finding out about her connection to my… mother…" Rei paused. "I simply became unsure whether Mari really loved me, or if I was just a second choice to replace her lost love. I did not want to be like a replacement for her… I'd already done that twice."

"Rei… I know I can't tell you what to do, but maybe it's time to give the poor girl a chance." Asuka said. "She's not so bad."

"What the antics from earlier?" Rei asked.

"Oh, she just hit a nerve with all the Third Impact stuff…" Asuka grumbled. "The news makes it seem Shinji did everything… but I did a lot of the work… we all did. It wasn't just him and Unit–01."

"I am aware of that." Rei said. "But Mari seems like she never grew up… she should be more mature than us."

"Well… I don't know, she's always like that." Asuka said. "What's the real reason you don't want to try and go out with her?"

"I cannot trust her." Rei said. "She hid a large amount of information from us. That disk of hers for one. We could have used that long ago… perhaps we could have faced the Angels and won with less….heartbreak. And I do want to get hurt either… I… couldn't handle that… I've had too much sorrow in my life, I did not want to add more."

"Rei… that's unavoidable." Asuka said.

"Not if I intend to never enter a relationship." Rei replied.

"Are you sure you would rather be single?" Asuka asked.

"Don't you mean would I rather not be alone?" Re asked.

"Yeah, that's what I mean." Asuka said.

"Well, I have you guys, so I'm not truly alone, am I?" Rei asked.

"I guess not." Asuka said. "But what would Mari have to do to have a chance?"

"I don't know." Rei said. "But did she put you up to asking all this?"

"No, I overheard her and Shinji talking." Asuka said. "He was comforting her because she thinks you hate her now."

"I don't hate her." Rei said. "I just… I can't be alone with her."

"Why not?" Asuka asked.

"Because my heart aches when I see her." Rei said. "And I want to understand those feelings… but I don't trust her, yet I feel… lightheaded being around her."

"That's confusing for anyone, Rei." Asuka said. "So don't feel bad."

"Asuka… I don't feel bad, but can we change the subject?" Rei asked. "I would rather talk about something else."

"Ok, what do you want to talk about?" Asuka asked.

"About you and onii–chan?" Rei asked.

"Sure." Asuka said. "What do you want to know?"

–––

Shinji and Mari were standing outside a formidable looking building. Even thought it was only a medium security prison, and even thought they had been there several times before, that didn't make them any less apprehensive about going in. As they walked inside past the first checkpoint, they signed in, and were given a quick search for any contraband. Then a large, burly guard led them to a small area where families and friends could meet the prisoners they were visiting. As the guards sat them down, they were reminded the prisons only had five minutes to talk to them before the visit was over, that there was to be no physical contact whatsoever, and that they would be subject to a search once again upon leaving to make sure nothing was smuggled out. As they sat down they saw who they were waiting for, they both smiled.

Kozo Fuyutsuki walked up to them, wearing his usual light gray jumpsuit and a small smile. He sat down across from them and looked surprised.

"I didn't know you were coming up today." Fuyutsuki said. "What a nice surprise."

"Well, we figured with school starting again soon, we might not be able to do it as much as we'd like." Mari said.

"Yeah, we figured we could come up and tell you." Shinji added.

"Well, I appreciate it." Fuyutsuki said. "So, how have things been out in the real world?"

"Oh, you know, normal." Shinji said. "At least as normal as they can be for us, that is."

"Is something wrong?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"No… I just… I don't like lying to Asuka about anything." Shinji said. "It's just been difficult to keep it up for so long. She almost caught me a few weeks ago when she surprised Misato at work."

"Shinji, I know you don't like lying to her, but Asuka has trouble keeping secrets." Fuyutsuki said. "She doesn't need to know now… and I know you did this so she could have a normal life."

"Yeah." Shinji mumbled. "But, I just hope she doesn't have to find out what I did."

"I'm sure she'll understand." Fuyutsuki said. "Just have faith she'll trust you did it for her."

"Ok." Shinji said.

"And how are Rei and Asuka?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Asuka's really happy." Shinji said. "She doesn't really get mad anymore… just here and there. Her temper's mellowed out a bit." Shinji smiled. "And my sister is doing ok. She's still sorting through everything…"

"Ah…" Fuyutsuki muttered.

"But she doesn't blame you for anything." Shinji said. "She actually appreciates that you created her, whether it was intentional or not, she's thankful to be alive."

"Oh…" Fuyutsuki said. "Is that… new?"

"Yeah, last week she told me." Shinji said. "She finally underdo about what happened… after I told her what you said."

"Wow…" Fuyutsuki murmured. "She really has grown…"

"So, how are you, sensei?" Mari asked to change the subject. "Been keeping busy?"

"Yes, I've learned how to paint. The last months, I've finally perfected my style." Fuyutsuki said. "I quite enjoy it… yet I'm only doing things from memory, because there isn't anything in here I'd find enjoyable to paint… but I do vividly remember the Kyoko University campus from that hill."

"You mean the one Yui liked going to?" Mari asked.

"Yes, it looks absolutely beautiful." Fuyutsuki said. "And it really helps pass the time."

"Well… we added some money to your commissary account." Shinji said. "Maybe e can buy you the supplies you need too."

"Yeah, write us a letter with the stuff you need." Mari said.

"So, how is NERV?" Fuyutsuki asked. "Is Misato keeping everything in order?"

"Should you really be asking that?" Mari asked in a low voice. "You are a convicted war criminal after all."

"I may be, but I gave them far too much information to be killed off for asking how NERV is." Fuyutsuki said.

"Two minutes." The guard said.

"Well, the U.N. is still keeping them open." Shinji said. "And Misato seems to work all the time, filing every stupid report they ask her to. We barely see her."

"That's a shame…" Fuyutsuki said. "And then her losing Kaji… she deserved better from life, but she always seems to have been caught in the middle of things."

"Yeah, losing Kaji…" Shinji mumbled.

"It's still tough on her." Mari said. "But she won't admit it."

"Sometimes we hear her crying at night." Shinji said. "It's just really sad."

"So, has this been recent?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Last few months, yeah." Shinji said. "Third Impact's been in the news an awful lot lately, and it keeps dredging things up."

"Yeah, she's just not been herself lately." Mari said. "It's hard growing up without our mom."

"Do you really consider her your mother?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yeah." Shinji said. "I know where my mother is… but Misato's been there for me, even when I wished she wasn't."

"I mean, I'm technically older than her… but yeah." Mari said. "She treats me like the daughter that looks _way_ better than her."

"Mari, be nice." Shinji said. "When she's actually home, she loves us all equally."

"No, you're her favorite." Mari said. "Just because you had all that time with her before we got there… and you cook and clean."

"I still don't clean her room." Shinji said.

"Guys, we don't have much time." Fuyutsuki said.

"Sorry…" Shinji muttered.

"Yeah, that's my fault, sensei." Mari said.

"It's fine." Fuyutsuki replied. "So, are you ready for your final year of senior high school?"

"Well… as ready as I'll ever be." Shinji said.

"I don't mind going through a second time." Mari said. "I'm just glad some of the old geezers they had teaching have retired. We actually learn stuff now."

"Ah, that's great." Fuyutsuki said brightly.

"Time's up, inmate." The guard said to Fuyutsuki. "Let's go."

"Right." Fuyutsuki replied. "Well kids, until next time. And I'll send that letter along for my art supplies."

"Ok." Shinji said. "Bye, sir."

"Yeah, bye sensei." Mari added. "Stay safe."

"Oh, I intend to." Fuyutsuki replied.

As Fuyutsuki was led from the room, Mari and Shinji got up and left. They were searched once again when they left the building and then walked back towards the car.

"Well, that was fun." Mari said.

"Yeah, I just wish he wasn't stuck in there…" Shinji said. "I mean, he didn't really do anything wrong."

"Yeah, but as much as I like him Shinji, he never really did anything to stop your father or SEELE." Mari said. "He should serve some time… it's just dumb it's the rest of his life."

"Yeah, I know…" Shinji said as they got in the car and drove away. "But at least we can visit him."

–––

In Central Dogma, Sumire Nagara, Hyuga and Aoba were at their posts, with a surly and tired Colonel Misato Katsuragi behind them. Misato had been promoted to the rank of Colonel to oversee NERV's operations during the peace and quiet after the Angels. Seeing as Shinji had restored the Geofront and NERV HQ while in instrumentality, not much had needed to be repaired, and all the blood from the assault of the JSSDF had been wiped away as if it had never happened.

It was just another Tuesday to the skeleton crew stationed down there, monitoring things to make sure nothing weird was going, and still on the lookout for the Angels. All was quiet, and with little to do, the focus on work was minimal at best. However, that still didn't prohibit them from occasionally doing what they were paid to do, keep an eye out for further Angels, even though it was widely thought none still existed.

"Colonel, why do we all have to monitor this stuff?" Sumire asked. "Nothing's happened since Third Impact."

"Sumire, you ask that same question all the time." Hyuga said.

"For like a year now." Aoba added. "Or is it two?"

"Well, no one ever answers me properly." Sumire replied calmly. "I mean, all the money the U.N. throws at us, and we just watch some stuff for eight hours a day."

"Look, the U.N. thinks there may be more Angels." Misato explained. "But the documents they found about the Angels from SEELE was that basically there were seventeen, and all of them have been accounted for."

"Yeah, well, it still doesn't make sense." Sumire said. "Don't they have other things to spend it on?"

"Not really." Misato said. "They basically pay us to keep our mouths shut about what happened. We just keep the EVAs in fighting shape and do our thing."

"But they're dormant, right?" Sumire asked. "They've been dormant since the end of Third Impact, right?"

"As far as Maya can tell." Misato replied. "But we never know… they could wake up at any time… and we'll need to be here when that happens."

"Seriously?" Sumire asked before her conversation was broken up.

"What the fuck?" Aoba said quietly looking at his console.

"What's up sweetheart?" Hyuga asked just as quietly.

"Look at this." Aoba said, showing him his computer screen.

"Fuck me sideways." Hyuga said.

"What are you two lovers talking about over there?" Misato asked. "Something sex related? I know there isn't much to do… but try and keep the chat focused on work, alright?"

"Uhhhh… Colonel? It's not that at all… we're just…" Aoba stammered.

"We're receiving a signal from the 2nd NERV Branch in Nevada." Hyuga said quietly. "It appears that we're getting a signal that is verified on the appropriate frequency."

"What?!" Misato yelled. "How is that possible?! That branch was swallowed up in a Dirac Sea years ago!"

"We know that, Colonel, we were here too." Aoba responded. "Our satellite passing over the area confirms it, 2nd NERV Branch in Nevada is back in phase with our reality."

"Can you contact the base?" Misato asked.

"No, ma'am, it's an automated distress signal. We're not getting any response to our communications attempts." Aoba replied.

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

At that moment a loud roar erupted from below them, as if a beast was trying to get free. It shook Central Dogma with such force, that Misato was knocked of balance and to the ground. Hyuga got up to help the Colonel to her feet.

"Oh, no… please tell me this day isn't going to get any worse." Misato said, hoping what she heard was only her imagination.

A voice came over the intercom. " _Uh… Colonel, its Ibuki. You'd better get down here._ " Maya said. " _They're awake._ "

"I had to say it… I had to say could it get any worse…" Misato bemoaned. "Fucking wonderful…"

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 150.0% (New)  
Asuka – N/A  
Mari – N/A  
Rei – N/A

And there you have the opening of a brand new story arc everyone! Very little to discuss here. Not much has changed for the kids, save for getting older (no curse of the EVA here folks) and slightly more mature. Their characterizations have changed a bit, but only to show that some time has passed. But things are about to get interesting, considering that the Evangelions have woken up after a nice three year nap.

Now, as for why Mari was fine with Shinji driving her to see Fuyutsuki. Mari trusts Shinji above anyone else, and she knows he drives very carefully, much the opposite of Misato. So, her fear of driving, stemming from her parents' deaths is abated because she knows Shinji won't let anything happen to her and that she's safe as long as she's with him.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	2. Chapter 2 – Roar Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 2 – Roar Evangelion  
March 17, 2020 – NERV HQ

Maya was down in the Evangelion Cage, doing the duties she inherited from her predecessor, Ritsuko Akagi. Even thought they had been dormant since the Rejected Third Impact, they still required regular maintenance to keep them ever ready in case anything involving Angels were to occur again. So, as Maya was running standard diagnostics on the sleeping Unit–01 and Unit–02's dormant Cores, she felt the room shake suddenly.

"No…" Maya muttered as she remembered the last time she felt shaking like this. "It… it can't be…"

She looked up and saw Unit–01 and Unit–02 struggling against their bonds, something she had not seen in a long time. Their chests were glowing at the approximate site of of the Cores buried beneath the armored plating. She saw Unit–01 snap its jaw restraints and crane its neck as it tried to break free, as she let out a mighty roar. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

And then Unit–02 followed with its own roar moments later, mirroring Unit–01's defiance. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

Maya scrambled to grab the button for the intercom and pressed it to contact the Command Center. "Uh… Colonel, its Ibuki. You'd better get down here." Maya said. "They're awake."

" _I had to say it… I had to say could it get any worse…_ " Misato bemoaned. " _Fucking wonderful…_ "

"What else is going on, Colonel?" Maya asked. "What's worse than this?"

" _The 2nd Branch just reappeared from its interdimensional tomb._ " Misato said. " _I'm ordering a team to secure the area and look for signs of life._ " Misato sighed. " _Nevada reappearing suddenly might explain why they're awake._ "

"Maybe…" Maya said. "But I don't get why. They're really trying to break free."

" _Is there anything else going on down there besides just the two very angry EVAs?_ " Misato asked. " _And I mean anything out of the ordinary… a flickering light… something…_ "

"Well… there's been a spike in Pattern Orange activity from our internal sensor network." Maya replied as she looked at her diagnostic screens. "The Cores of Unit–XP, Unit–00, and Unit–03 are all exhibiting a massive sympathetic power increase."

" _But they don't have S2 Engines!_ " Misato said worriedly.

"Unit–03's does, but the other two don't." Maya corrected. "Still, they're reacting to something… and those three shouldn't even be able to activate given that they aren't even installed in Evangelions…"

" _The problem is we don't know what they're reacting to._ " Misato replied.

"I'll try to find out, ma'am… but as of right now we've still got two angry Evangelions trying to break free." Maya said.

" _I think I know how to fix that._ " Misato said. " _Hold down the fort, I'll be down shortly._ "

"Understood, ma'am." Maya replied as she shut off the intercom and looked over at the still struggling Evangelions. "So what made you decide to wake up now after all this time?" Maya muttered aloud.

"Ma'am… do you have any orders?" A technician asked nervously.

"Clear out all non–essential personnel until further notice." Maya said.

"Yes, ma'am." The technician replied as Maya continued looking at the Evangelions.

"I wonder what this means for our future…" Maya muttered.

–––  
Misato was in a panic, on the first day in over three years, all the shit was hitting every fan. She could see on the main holographic display in the Command Center that Unit–01 and Unit–02 were still restrained, but they were putting up a good fight.

"Sumire, I need you to call the kids in." Misato said.

"Ok, I can call Shinji." Sumire replied. "His number should be here somewhere…"

"No… all four of them." Misato ordered.

"But… isn't that a bit extreme?" Hyuga asked. "Shinji's the only one that's been consistently training…"

"It doesn't matter anymore." Misato said. "They're awake, which means the contingency plans have to be activated."

"Which plans are those?" Aoba asked.

"Call up all the separate branches and inform them of the situation and that all assets are to be reactivated immediately." Misato said. "And I have to notify the Security Council about this… nightmare."

"Understood, Colonel." Sumire replied.

"And Sumire, make sure you don't mention anything about Shinji having been training here, got it?" Misato ordered. "I don't need Asuka in a bad mood because of that."

"I won't say a thing ma'am." Sumire replied.

"Hyuga, I want you to take command while I'm calling the U.N." Misato said. "Can you coordinate things from here?"

"Yes, ma'am." Hyuga replied. "I'll get the other branches on the line… and I'll have the other American branch prep a team to inspect Nevada…"

"No, tell them to secure the site only." Misato ordered. "I'll have a specialist team move in to search for survivors and to recover Unit–04."

"Do you think it's still there?" Hyuga asked.

"Only one way to find out." Misato said. "Order Captain Amagi to assemble a team to go and recover Unit–04, and have Captain Takao assemble a search and rescue party."

"Understood, Colonel." Hyuga replied. "Is it wise to send both of them though?"

"Well, we need separate teams to go, and Kotomi has worked with Unit–04 in the past, so she's the most qualified, and Takao helped build the Second Branch, so he knows the layout and where people would be." Misato explained. "Do I need to elaborate on anymore of my orders, Captain? I do believe we are under a time crunch."

"No, ma'am." Hyuga replied.

"Good" Misato sighed. "Aoba, I need you to run a discrete test of all the AIS building weapons and their magazines." Misato ordered. "If we need them, they should be ready."

"Can do, Colonel." Aoba replied. "What about setting the city into battle mode?"

"Can't risk it yet… might cause a panic if we move people to shelters." Misato said. "Run a test on the emergency broadcast system however, just to make sure it's still active and capable."

"Got it." Aoba replied.

"Anything else we can do?" Sumire asked.

"Just make sure we're not gonna be surprised by some Eighteenth Angel." Misato said flippantly. "We really don't need to deal with another problem on top of everything else right now."

The trio nodded in agreement as Misato left the room, and they began their extensive tasks.

"And here we thought this was over." Sumire said.

"Yeah, we all did." Hyuga said. "But… the dream's over now. We're back to reality now… the reality of the EVAs and Angels."

"Well, at least it's only the EVAs." Aoba said.

"For now." Sumire replied. "You guys know this better than I do… whenever something happens in this place, it's all downhill till we end up almost dead…"

"Did something happen Sumire?" Hyuga asked.

"I was bleeding out just before Third Impact started." Sumire said. "I don't want to end up like that again…"

"Weren't you evacuated?" Aoba asked.

"No, I was a good shot, so I was on one of the defense teams." Sumire replied. "I was hit and left behind while we were falling back, then I don't remember anything until someone woke me up, and I was fine."

"Shit…" Hyuga said. "I didn't know that."

"I don't like talking about it." Sumire replied curtly. "That's all."

"Well… not to change the subject or anything, but we have a lot of work to do." Hyuga said. "Let's get to it."

–––

Shinji and Mari were driving back to Tokyo–3. It was a nice, relaxing drive. Mari was relaxing as the wind whipped through her hair, while the sun was shining on her face. But all that was broken when Shinji's phone started to ring.

"Mari can you get that?" Shinji asked.

"Why?" Mari asked. "It's your phone. What if it's Asuka?"

"Tell her I'm driving." Shinji said. "And that we'll be home soon."

"I'll just put it on speaker." Mari said as she reached the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

" _Hello?_ " Sumire said. " _I'm looking for Shinji._ "

"Well, this is Mari." Mari replied. "He has a girlfriend, so you better stop calling."

" _Makinami?_ " Sumire asked.

"Mari, stop." Shinji said exasperatedly. "Hello, this is Shinji." Shinji replied. "Who is this?"

" _Sumire Nagara, from NERV._ " Sumire replied. " _We have a situation._ "

"Oh… Maya's replacement." Mari said.

"Mari!" Shinji exclaimed.

" _It's good I caught both of you._ " Sumire began.

"I didn't miss a sync test, did I?" Shinji interrupted. "If I did, please apologize to Maya for me."

"You totally did, didn't you?" Mari joked. "She's gonna be so mad…"

" _I'm afraid it's far more serious than that._ " Sumire said. " _Both of you need to get to the base immediately._ "

"What's wrong?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, stop fucking around with the secrets and shit." Mari said.

" _I not authorized by the Colonel to give out that information._ " Sumire said. " _Just get here as soon as possible, it's very important you understand that…_ "

"Is it an Angel?" Mari asked.

"Is it the EVAs?" Shinji asked.

" _I really can't say._ " Sumire said. " _Please, just here quickly. The Colonel will explain everything to you when you get here. I will contact the others and inform them to come in at once._ "

"Wait, you're not going to tell her about my training are you?" Shinji asked.

" _I've been ordered not to._ " Sumire said. " _See you soon, Shinji._ "

"Well fuck." Mari said as she hung up the phone.

"I hope it's not an Angel." Shinji muttered.

"Really, they call us in for an emergency, it has to be an Angel, or the EVAs, or both." Mari said. "That's the only reason Misato would call us all at once."

"Yeah, but why now?" Shinji asked. "I mean, we're still safe right?"

"Shinji, you've been training for this moment for three years." Mari said. "What's the problem?"

"Training is one thing… but I was hoping I'd never have to fight again…" Shinji said. "Asuka's gonna be so pissed when she finds out…"

"Stop worrying about that now and focus." Mari said. "Just drive faster, and we'll figure out how to break that news to her later, right now we've got a world in some deep shit."

"And let me guess, we're the only ones that can stop it." Shinji quipped as he accelerated.

"Nope, it's just you and the princess." Mari replied. "You're the only ones with Evangelions after all, dormant or otherwise."

–––

Rei and Asuka had just finished lunch and had been talking about Asuka and Shinji's relationship for over an hour, and were preparing to head back home when Asuka's phone started to ring.

"Shinji's probably gonna ask us what we want for dinner." Asuka said as she reached for her phone. "He's the only one that calls… everyone else just texts."

"If onii–chan does ask, I don't mind just ramen." Rei said happily.

"Why not eggplant parmesan?" Asuka asked. "It's vegetarian I think… he likes cooking!"

"I really don't mind what he makes." Rei said. "I'm too full from lunch to think about dinner anyway…"

"Oh, you're no fun… huh, it's not him." Asuka said as she grabbed her phone. "Hello?"

" _Is this Miss Soryu?_ " Sumire asked.

"Yeah, who the hell is this and how did you get my number?" Asuka asked.

" _This is Lieutenant Nagara from NERV._ " Sumire said. " _You need to report to NERV HQ immediately._ "

"What the hell would I do that?" Asuka asked. "I don't work there anymore."

" _Miss Soryu, it's very important that you get here immediately._ " Sumire said. " _I can't explain why, but you are officially being recalled to base along with your friends._ "

"No, you're fucking lying." Asuka said.

"Asuka, what's the matter?" Rei asked.

"We're being recalled to NERV." Asuka said. "It's some kind of emergency."

" _Is that Miss Ayanami?_ " Sumire asked.

"Her name's Ikari now, but yeah." Asuka said. "Why does it matter?"

" _We need all of you here._ " Sumire said. " _I've already been in contact with Mister Ikari and Miss Makinami, we need you both here as well._ "

"Why should we?" Asuka asked. "I don't see an Angel, I don't think it's really our problem."

" _I'm not at liberty to discuss the reasons for your recall, all I'm allowed to say is that you're needed here at NERV HQ immediately._ "

"Well, what if I don't want to?" Asuka asked. "I really don't see why I need to come back."

" _It's an emergency, and it would be better to come of your volition._ " Sumire said. " _Mister Ikari said that he would bring you in if need be._ "

"I need to know why before I come anywhere near that place." Asuka said sternly. "Otherwise I'm not going."

" _Everything will get explained to you by Colonel Katsuragi when you arrive._ " Sumire said. " _But you need to get here._ "

"Why can't Misato tell me this herself?" Asuka asked. "I want to hear it from her."

" _She's in a meeting but will be free when you get here._ " Sumire said, her tone getting more annoyed.

"Fine." Asuka said as she hung up the phone.

"Asuka, are you ok?" Rei asked.

"No." Asuka said. "We're getting called back in there. That wasn't supposed to happen again… we were supposed to be free from this."

"It was only a matter of time." Rei said. "Happiness is not everlasting."

"But it should be." Asuka said as she angrily dialed her phone.

"Who are you calling?" Rei asked.

"Shinji." Asuka said as the phone rang. "I'm telling him where to pick us up."

"I thought you didn't want to go?" Rei asked.

"No… I just want to get this over with." Asuka muttered.

–––

Misato was standing in a darkened room. The same room Gendo once used to communicate publicly with the Human Instrumentality Committee, and secretly with SEELE during the his time in command of NERV. As she sat down at the table, fifteen people appeared around her, the U.N. Security Council.

"Hello, Colonel." The American Ambassador said. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Yes, we are usually not called here by you, ma belle Colonel." The French Ambassador said.

"These are very unusual circumstances Ambassadors." Misato said. "We have… a pair of serious situations."

"A pair?" The Russian Ambassador asked. "Vhat could have happened?"

"The Evangelions have awakened." Misato said. "Including the disconnected Cores we have here at NERV HQ."

"Do you have a cause for this insanity?" The Japanese Ambassador asked.

"It's been three years, we thought we were past this." The American Ambassador said.

"Apparently not, ma'am." Misato replied. "We believe the other situation we're experiencing is a cause of the… awakening."

"And vhat is this ozer problem?" The Russian Ambassador asked.

"The Second Branch has reappeared from its interdimensional prison." Misato explained. "It reappeared 187 minutes ago, making contact through its emergency beacon."

"What is the status of the base?" The British Ambassador asked.

"The base's perimeter is being secured as we speak." Misato said. "Once the perimeter is secured, we will be sending in two teams… one to search for any survivors, and the other to try and recover Unit–04, if anything still exists from the missing Evangelion."

"What is your containment plan?" The Chinese Ambassador asked.

"A heavy military presence, borrowing from the U.N. Forces stationed on the West Coast, and any NERV assets we have available." Misato explained. "Until the base can be deemed safe for use, it will stay empty."

"You plan to utilize the base again?" The British Ambassador asked.

"Yes I do, sir." Misato said. "It was a research facility, and by all accounts from surveillance photos, it appears to be intact. Why wouldn't we use one of the assets we deemed irreplaceable back then?"

"It seems rather… uncouth." The British Ambassadors said. "People died there."

"We still use the HQ in the Geofront… and as I recall on a certain New Year's Eve, people died here too." Misato said bluntly. "So, should we find another HQ, Ambassador?"

"Enough." The French Ambassador said. "Arguing will not get us through this."

"No it won't, but my intention to use the base is not going to change." Misato said. "And I intend to refurbish and activate Unit–04 if at all possible."

"You don't seriously think you'll need another Evangelion?" The Chinese Ambassador asked. "Don't you have enough already?"

"After the last time we went through this, there really can't ever be enough to use." Misato said flippantly. "You should all know that if you actually read the reports I'm required to send you."

"We can cross that bridge if an Angel actually attacks." The American Ambassador said calmly. "As of right now, you have no confirmation of Angelic activity, correct?"

"As of right now, no." Misato said. "But I have reactivated our four pilots, and we'll get them back into fighting shape."

"Are you assuming that there are other Angels?" The French Ambassador asked.

"That is the assumption I'm going off of." Misato replied. "The Evangelions have to have awakened for a reason, and Angels appearing from somewhere would be the most likely reason for them to come back online."

"So you're preparing for the worst." The Japanese Ambassador asked.

"Yes." Misato said. "I don't know if a Fourth Impact is even possible, but I'd like to avoid it at all costs."

"We all would." The French Ambassador. "But we need to discuss direct oversight."

"Why do I need direct oversight?" Misato asked. "I thought I was put in command here so that I could do my job to the best of my ability."

"Based upon past experience, we believe that having someone there to report to us directly would save us time and headaches down the road." Their American Ambassador said. "Your predecessor did many things without our knowledge."

"And I believe some of your predecessors were also part of that large conspiracy, Ambassador." Misato said angrily. "So I'm not seeing why it's my responsibility to have someone here who's going to get in the way."

"The observer won't be in the way." The American Ambassador said.

"Sure." Misato said. "How can I trust that they won't try and interfere with any of our operations?"

"They will be instructed only to observe and advice you of your limitations as the _Provisional_ Commander of NERV." "Until we are satisfied with your performance, you will be under our supervision as a division of the United Nations."

"When will they be sent out then?" Misato said gruffly.

"They'll be arriving in the next days." The American Ambassador replied. "Until then, do nothing else until you get our direct go ahead."

"And my current plans?" Misato asked sarcastically. "Do they get your seal of approval?"

"Just a moment." The American Ambassador said. "All those in favor of approving Colonel Katsuragi's plan?" Eleven people raised their hands, including all five permanent members and Japan. "All opposed?" Four people raised their hands. "You have our approval, Colonel. Until next time."

The holographic transmission cut off, leaving Misato alone in the room once more. She left the room in a huff and walked out of her office and went to the Command Center.

"Bunch of self–righteous assholes…" Misato muttered. "I need supervision? I wasn't plotting to start Third Impact… but no, they think I need to be controlled. How will I effectively lead when some pencil pushing dick hole is gonna tell me what I can and can't do? What a fucking joke…"

The intercom then came on, and Misato heard an announcement.

" _Colonel Katsuragi, please report to the parking bay, Colonel Katsuragi please report to the parking bay._ "

"Great… this should be interesting." Misato said. "Now I have to tell them why we've dragged them in here again… this is the worst day I've had in a long time…"

–––

Asuka was livid. After Shinji had picked her and Rei up, it had been a very quiet and awkward ride to NERV. No one wanted to talk about why they had been called in, but they all knew, deep down, exactly why they'd been called there, the Evangelions had awaken.

As Shinji called at the main gate to get access to garage and has his car brought down to the Geofront by car train, Shinji flashed back to the first time he came here and remembered how awe inspired he was back then.

"You know… it's still beautiful every time I see this." Shinji said.

"Still, I don't like being here again." Asuka said. "I liked it when we didn't think we'd ever come back here."

"So did I, Asuka." Rei said. "But we're here now, and there isn't anything we can do about it. It's apparently important enough for us to have been called here."

"Princess, it could be worse." Mari said. "I didn't see anything that looked like an Angel on the drive here… so at least it shouldn't be _that_ bad."

"Yeah, whatever…" Asuka mumbled as the car train stopped and Shinji drove into the main parking garage, and parked next to Misato's car. As the four of them got out, they saw Misato walk out to see greet them, and she didn't look very happy.

"So, why exactly are we here Misato?" Asuka asked.

"It's about time the four of you got here." Misato said gruffly. "It's been three hours since this mess started, and we need to move."

"Where are we going?" Mari asked.

"The Cage." Misato replied. "The Evangelions are awake, and they are very, very angry."

"What do you mean by awake?" Shinji asked.

Asuka and Mari both went slack jawed at the news, then Asuka's own face showed a flash of fear, hearing something she never thought she'd hear again.

"You're lying." Asuka said in a shaky voice. "You just wanted to test how quickly we'd get here…"

"Yeah, she's just kidding, right miso?" Mari asked.

"Afraid not kids." Misato said. "You're here because they're awake and trying to break free, and I need your help to calm them down."

"What do you mean trying to break free?" Shinji asked. "You said it had been three hours, shouldn't they be wandering around by now?"

"No, the restraints have been improved in the past three years." Misato said. "But they won't hold out forever."

"Something tells me there is more to this story." Rei said.

"There is, but first, you two need to calm down your mothers." Misato said as she led the group out of the garage. "But you don't seem shocked by that, Rei."

"It was inevitable that this would happen." Rei said. "It was only a matter of time before it did…"

"Yeah, well I was still hoping it wouldn't happen." Asuka mumbled.

"Ditto…" Mari added.

"And here I thought you two would get your blood lust back if they woke up." Misato joked. "Like the old days."

"Nope… that got left behind after I was ripped to shreds thank you very much." Asuka replied. "Or it was ripped out of me or whatever."

"And after meeting Lilith again, I'd rather avoid the whole situation entirely." Mari added.

"Huh… shocking to say the least…" Misato quipped. "And what about you, Shinji, are you surprised?"

"No, just disappointed we won't be able to live regular lives anymore." Shinji replied. "It was nice trying to act normal."

"Baka, we are normal!" Asuka exclaimed.

"Asuka, we piloted Evangelions… we're not normal people." Shinji retorted.

"Asuka, onii–chan is right, we can't deny that we have some unique life experiences." Rei said. "We're not normal… but we're certainly not abnormal."

"Just stop!" Asuka said. "I am normal!"

"Princess, your best friend is clone of your boyfriend's mother, I knew your mother before I travelled through time, and you've died and come back to life, not to mention your mother is trapped inside a humongous Evangelion… you're not normal."

"I… but… gottverdammt…" Asuka muttered.

As the group arrived at the Evangelion Cage, they could hear the distressed creaking of metal slowly ripping itself apart, and the growling and roaring of the pair of Evangelions restrained within.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about them being upset." Mari muttered. "They sound pissed."

"Do we have to go in?" Asuka asked.

"Asuka, I know you're not happy right now…" Misato began.

"I'm not just unhappy, I'm fucking angry." Asuka replied. "Not that I'm not happy that my momma's ok… but, I was hoping she'd finally be at peace."

"Regardless, you're the only ones that can calm them down." Misato finished. "Their flesh and blood."

"So, can we go in now?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, by the sounds of it, the restraints are starting to have a problem holding them in place." Misato said.

As they walked inside, the four of them looked up to see both Evangelions writhing in place, trying to break free. The restraints on the walls were holding, but just barely. Cracks in the heavy metal sides of the Cage were beginning to form, and were slowly beginning to expand.

"Maya, how's it going in here?" Misato asked a flushed Maya.

"Not so good." Maya replied. "The activity from everything down here hasn't subsided at all in the past three hours."

"Ok kids, do your thing." Misato said.

"Which is what exactly?" Asuka asked. "Yelling at them?"

"Yeah, we were inside the Entry Plug when we talked to them." Shinji added.

"It works you know." Mari said. "They can hear you if you talk to them."

"How would you know?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, that's very odd, they're trapped inside the Core, they should be unable to hear you." Rei said.

"I used to talk them when I was feeling lonely…" Mari murmured. "They would flash their eyes to yes or no questions."

"So they can hear us?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, if you talk loud enough." Mari replied.

"Why have you not mentioned this before?" Rei asked. "You've told us so much more inconsequential information."

"I didn't think this was relevant." Mari said. "They were asleep."

"Wow… and I was only hoping that you guys being here would make a difference." Misato joked. "Looks like this might actually work."

"You didn't think that this would work and you brought us here anyway?!" Asuka asked angrily. "What the fuck, Misato?!"

"Well, I had to come up with something." Misato said. "Just like old times, plans by the seat of my pants, eh?"

"I don't miss them all that much…" Asuka muttered.

"We're all glad it was in the past, princess." Mari quipped.

"So, Mari, you're sure this will work?" Misato asked.

"Yeah… I'm sure." Mari said as she approached walked between the two Evangelions, facing them. "Hey, Yui! Hey Kyoko!" Mari shouted. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Unit–01 and Unit–02 stopped struggling and looked directly at her. "Yeah, you heard me! Stop trying to break free, there aren't any Angels!"

Both Evangelions opened their mouths wide and roared at Mari, drowning out the next thing she said. " ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

"Real mature you two!" Mari shouted. "You're setting a fine example for your children!" Unit–01 and Unit–02 began looking around and settled their gaze n their respective children. "Oh, you see them now, eh?" Mari asked. "If you weren't throwing such a temper tantrum, you'd have noticed them sooner!"

"Mother, stop!" Shinji pleaded. "There's nothing out there to fight, please calm down!"

"Asuka, say something to your mother." Rei prodded.

"But…" Asuka muttered.

"Onii–chan can't do this alone." Rei added.

"Fine…" Asuka muttered half–heartedly. "Momma, please!" Asuka shouted. "Why are you doing this? There isn't anything wrong, just go back to being at peace!"

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

"Stop it!" Shinji shouted. "We're here now, there isn't any need for this!"

Unit–01 paused, but Unit–02 kept struggling. "Momma, stop it right now!" Asuka shouted. "Listen to me, everything is fine, just stop! We don't need to fight anymore!" Unit–02 finally stopped struggling and stared at Asuka with its four eyes. "See, was that so hard?"

Unit–02 looked as though it were glaring at Asuka and then shut down, with Unit–01 following suit.

"How anti–climactic." Misato said. "So… is that all Maya?"

"The other Cores are calming down, and there doesn't seem to be any lasting damage." Maya said. "But… I wonder why they were trying to escape."

"Probably to see us." Asuka said. "We haven't seen them in three years, they're probably upset or something."

"Or perhaps they sensed a greater threat and tried to warn us." Rei said.

"Why would you say that?" Shinji asked.

"Misato said that there were multiple things she was dealing with." Rei said. "Something external would had to have woken them up. It's the only logical explanation."

"Yeah about that…" Misato said. "Follow me to my office, and I'll explain everything's that's going on."

–––

Back in the Command Center, all eyes were on Nevada. The perimeter was being secured, while the staff in the Command Center were doing basic recon using the satellites available to them to try and find any evidence of survivors.

"Anything?" Sumire asked.

"Still nothing." Hyuga said. "Switching to max–res mode, maybe I can pull something more out of this sensor package."

"But if you do that, you'll lose the wide scope." Aoba said.

"I know that, but I need the resolution to see any heat signatures inside." Hyuga replied. "Coming into range now… all I have is a thirty second target window…"

The feed from the satellite was put on the main display, and as the image passed over the base, everyone looked as closely as they could, but they couldn't see anything.

"Damn it!" Hyuga said. "Still nothing."

"There has to be someone…" Aoba said. "They can't all be dead, there were plenty of supplies."

"Guys, be realistic." Sumire said. "We don't know what a different dimension does to a person, they could have all committed mass suicide or murdered each other in fits of rage."

"Or, they could be hiding somewhere the sensors can't pick them up from the outside." Hyuga retorted.

"Look, I want to find some survivors too, but I don't want to full myself with false hope." Sumire replied. "Just tell the Colonel we couldn't find anyone without breaching the perimeter, I'm sure she'll understand."

"Well, it'd be nice to give her some good news on a day like today." Aoba said.

"Why?" Sumire asked. "The only thing that could possibly make this any worse is fi an Angel attacked or Unit–04 broke free and started rampaging in Nevada."

"Don't say that!" Hyuga said loudly.

"Why not?" Sumire asked.

"Because when we say stuff like that, it tends to come true." Hyuga said frantically. "Almost like were jinxed!"

Sumire paused and waited. "Sounds like you're just being paranoid." Sumire quipped.

"Just because someone sounds paranoid doesn't mean they aren't telling the truth." Hyuga said. "Mark my words, this will get worse. I don't know how, but it will."

–––

The kids had followed Misato to her office, leaving the now calmed down Evangelions in Maya's care. When they entered Misato's office, Shinji was shocked to see that Misato had not taken his father's office, as he'd always assumed, but rather, she had taken over Fuyutsuki's smaller, yet still impressive sized office.

"Misato, why aren't you in my father's old office?" Shinji asked.

"Well, I thought it was too ridiculous to continue using." Misato said. "And I felt uncomfortable in there. Fuyutsuki's office was nice enough though, not as grandiose."

"So, what else do you have to tell us?" Asuka asked angrily. "Get to it, I don't want to be here all day ya know."

"Asuka, this isn't something that can be rushed." Misato replied. "Just sit down and I'll explain everything."

"Whatever." Asuka said gruffly as she sat down angrily in a chair.

"So, what other things have happened this morning?" Rei asked as the rest of them sat down.

"Alright… there isn't an easy way to say this, but NERV's Second Branch has reappeared from the Dirac Sea it was trapped in three and half years ago, at 11:25 Japan Standard Time today, or 18:25 Pacific Standard time for those folks in the States. "

"So it reappeared, out of the blue?" Mari asked.

"With absolutely no warning." Misato said. "It's the most fucked up thing. The base looks completely fine from the outside, but we have no idea if there are any survivors."

"So for all you know everyone's still alive in there?" Rei asked.

"Either that or they're all dead." Misato said. "And honestly, I don't see any way for anyone to have survived, given our past experiences."

"You're really gonna be that pessimistic?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, did anything that happened when we were fighting the Angels somehow lead you to a different conclusion?" Misato asked.

"No… I just… maybe it'd be nice if we didn't always think the worst would happen." Shinji replied. "Maybe things will get better."

"Shinji, right after the Second Branch reappeared, is when the EVAs woke up. Not just Unit–01 or Unit–02 either, the Cores of Unit–XP, Unit–00, and Unit–03 also started glowing like crazy." Misato said. "And the Second Branch had to have some reason to come back… that sort of thing doesn't just happen."

"I… I guess…" Shinji muttered.

"So that happened and it awoke the EVAs." Rei said. "How intriguing…"

"Yes, very." Mari muttered. "Why would that wake them up?"

"We don't know yet." Misato said. "Once we get inside the base, we'll be able to search for some answers about what happened to there."

"What do you mean?" Mari asked.

"Unit–04 may still be intact." Misato said. "That is what we need to search for, the test of its S2 Engine caused this… it may have also brought it to an end."

"Wait, you think after the accident, Unit–04 is still intact?" Shinji asked.

"That's the hope." Misato replied.

"Why would we need another Evangelion?" Mari asked. "Isn't two enough?"

"I honestly don't know…" Misato said. "We just don't know what's going to happen. We honestly can't expect things to end here… and I hate to say this… but we have to recall you all to active duty."

"Absolutely fucking not!" Asuka shouted.

"Seriously?" Shinji muttered.

"You've got to be joking!" Mari shouted.

"Why?" Rei asked.

"Look, I honestly don't have a choice." Misato said. "That was the plan the U.N. put in place if the Evangelions were to ever awaken. Either I do this by asking you, or they force you to do it…"

"But why me and Rei?" Mari asked. "You've only got two Evangelions, three if you count the half torn up hulk that Unit–03 was. Ours kinda blew up if I remember correctly."

"Not exactly…" Misato said. "The last three years haven't been entirely without change."

"What are you talking about?" Shinji asked.

"We have Unit–01 and Unit–02 here." Misato said. "But we've also been refurbishing Unit–03 as well, to get it ready just in case anything happened."

"Ok, so that still leaves us one Evangelion short." Mari said. "How do you know we have enough?"

"We've been building three more Evangelions from the unfinished samples before they were cancelled." Misato said. "Unit–05's being built in the United Kingdom, Unit–06 is being built in France, and Unit–07 is being built in Israel."

"Wait, you're building more of those things?" Asuka asked. "Three fucking more?!"

"Yes, three more." Misato said. "The U.N. decided we needed more Evangelions, so they ordered more Evangelions and funded more research to improving their armor and weapons. They really want to avoid a Fourth Impact, and they are throwing more money at the problem than I thought was possible."

"So, you're building more Evangelions, and you want us all to get ready to pilot again?" Asuka asked. "You really expect us to fight again?"

"Yes, I do." Misato said. "If it comes to that."

"Why?" Asuka asked. "You have all these Evangelions now, so why don't you get some other assholes to pilot!"

"Because I need my experienced pilots to be here, because you know how to fight!" Misato replied. "Asuka, we can't do this without the four of you."

"I don't want to fight either Misato." Mari said. "I'm fine not being a pilot anymore."

"Well, I can't lose two of you!" Misato said. "Don't you realize you don't have a choice? The U.N. will forcibly conscript you if you don't do this willingly! I'll lose custody of you if you don't do this!"

"Why would you lose custody?" Asuka asked. "They can't reverse that!"

"They can to punish you and keep me from interfering by becoming your legal guardian." Misato said. "And I don't want that to happen."

"I fucking hate this!" Asuka shouted. "If I don't fight, I'm going to fight anyway, and if I agree to this… I'm stuck fighting again, it's just not fucking fair! Haven't we done enough fighting for one lifetime? Why are we stuck doing all this ourselves?!"

"Because as long as the Evangelions exist, you're stuck piloting them." Misato said. "I'm sorry Asuka, but we need you… you used to love piloting. Can't you just find some way to do this again?"

"No." Asuka said. "I don't want to fight anymore. I'm tired of fighting… I died out there, and I don't want that to happen again."

"Onii–chan, you haven't said anything about fighting again." Rei said.

"I know." Shinji replied.

"Why not, onii–chan?" Rei asked.

"Look… I don't really want to fight either." Shinji said. "But… what if there are more Angels… we can't just leave the world defenseless. Even if we don't like it, we do have a responsibility to fight."

"I think you are right." Rei said. "We should fight if we are able."

"Are you two insane?" Asuka asked. "Why the hell should any of us fight? Why should we risk ourselves again? Why risk death?"

"Because we must." Rei said. "We were entrusted with protecting the world once, and it falls to us again."

"But we could die!" Asuka said. "And I don't want any of us to get hurt again! I don't want to die again, all alone… with no one there beside me…"

"Asuka… you wouldn't be alone. I wouldn't ever let that happen again." Shinji said. "If we do this, we have to do this together. We either all fight, or none of us do. But we have to fight, to protect everyone from whatever is looming out there… it's our only hope for this to end one day."

"You mean it's our last hope." Asuka muttered. "I just don't know if I can do it again…"

"You can, Asuka." Shinji said. "I know you can. You know you can, you're not afraid of anything… that's not who you are."

"You… stop being so insightful." Asuka muttered. "I can be afraid of stuff."

"No, you just don't like being in second place." Shinji said harshly.

"Fuck you, baka." Asuka said angrily. "If I fight, I'll make sure I'm better than you!"

"That's more like the Asuka I know and love." Shinji said as he grinned.

"You tricked me, baka!" Asuka shouted. "That's not very nice!"

"Asuka, it needed to be done." Shinji said. "I wouldn't want to fight without you there by my side."

"Awww… puppy love at its best." Mari quipped. "I'm in if the princess is going too."

"I guess I can't be the only one not fighting…"Asuka said nervously. "I'll do it… just to prove I'm better than Shinji."

"Whatever works." Misato replied. So… we still need more pilots… but that's not your problem. That's mine alone.

"Who would you choose?" Mari asked.

"No idea." Misato said. "I'm not even sure why you guys were chosen beyond your mothers' souls being in the Cores." Misato sighed. "But I'm not sure what made it possible for Mari or Rei to sync… for obvious reasons."

"Does it matter?" Mari asked.

"Not right now." Misato said. "We still have to see if you can sync or not…"

"Don't say it…" Asuka muttered.

"So you need to start sync tests again." Misato finished. "Not right now, maya needs to ft you with new plugsuits first."

"Wonderful." Mari said. "I kinda missed wearing those."

"Why?" Asuka asked.

"They really made me look sexy." Mari said. "Showing off every curve…"

"Weirdo…" Asuka muttered.

"So, may we leave, Misato?" Rei asked.

"I don't see why not." Misato said. "But after you see security to get new IDs issued. Your old ones expired."

"Then we can go home?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, but we can talk more there if you want." Misato said.

"No, I'm tired of talking about this today." Asuka said. "I just want to go home."  
–––

After waiting at the security office to have their new IDs issued for their return to active duty the kids finally went home. It was a quiet ride, with Asuka brooding silently in the back seat next to Rei who just kept staring soulfully out the window. As Shinji was parking the car, Asuka bolted and went straight to their apartment, leaving the rest of them to follow her inside.

"Puppy, maybe you should turn the child locks on and keep her from doing that." Mari said. "Maybe keep her from pulling that stunt again."

"There isn't a point when she's upset like this." Shinji replied as he locked the car.

"I don't understand why she's so upset." Rei said. "She's told me she misses being near her mother."

"I don't think she wanted to fight again though." Shinji said. "But I can't believe she's afraid."

"Puppy, she's allowed to be afraid." Mari said as they got into the elevator. "She did die once."

"Aren't you afraid, Mari?" Shinji asked.

"Not anymore." Mari said. "I just… I thought it would be nice to be normal… guess that's not going to happen."

"I've died twice." Rei said. "I'm not afraid of getting in an Evangelion… it is not the scariest thing in the world."

"What is?" Shinji asked.

"Being alone." Rei replied as they got out of the elevator. "That is worse than anything… including death."

The three of them arrived at the apartment and went inside cautiously and found Shinji and Asuka's room was locked.

"Asuka…?" Shinji asked.

"I'm not in the mood, Shinji." Asuka said. "Go away."

"Asuka, I'm not leaving." Shinji replied.

"We're not leaving." Rei corrected him.

"Can't I just be alone?" Asuka asked. "Is that so much to ask?"

"Yes." Mari replied flippantly. "If we're going to fight together again, we need to know what you're feeling."

The door swung open and the three of them were faced with a very upset Asuka. "You want to know what I'm feeling?!" Asuka asked forcefully. "How about the normal life we've been building for the past three years getting ripped out from under us. The fact that we don't even have a choice after _everything_ we sacrificed the last time… I can't fucking believe that we're going to get stuck fighting for something we shouldn't be responsible for! We're fucking teenagers, we shouldn't be responsible for protecting this whole dysfunctional fucking planet!"

"Asuka… we don't have a choice." Shinji said.

"We should have a choice!" Asuka shouted. "We were dragged into this against our will! I was so fucking stupid to be excited about piloting when I was so young, but I was so proud my mother built what I was going to pilot… but that's what took her away from me, that's why I was stuck with abusive father!"

"Asuka, we're not debating that you had a poor childhood." Rei said. "We all did… but is it because of your mother you don't want to fight anymore?"

"Of course it's because of her!" Asuka screamed. "She's trapped in there because her test was sabotaged! She can't be at peace stuck inside that fucking machine!"

"Asuka… what if we could find a way to free them?" Mari asked. "I know your mother's research better than anyone… except maybe Fuyutsuki. What if we could free her."

"When?" Asuka asked. "Before we have to fight again?"

"No… once this is all done." Mari said. "Then we can set them free."

"But I'd still have to fight." Asuka said.

"Asuka, do you really want your mother's sacrifice to be in vain?" Rei asked.

"Of course not!" Asuka said angrily.

"Then fight." Rei said.

"How would that keep her sacrifice from being in vain?" Asuka asked.

"When your mother was absorbed into Unit–02, she thought she was creating a weapon to protect the world… to protect you…" Rei explained. "Use that weapon and protect the world from evil."

"That's a bit over the top, Rei." Shinji said.

"Well, she can fight to protect everyone she cares about." Mari suggested. "Or is that still too over the top?"

"No, I'll do that." Asuka grumbled. "I'll protect everyone I care about."

"You still don't sound happy." Shinji said.

"Would you be happy finding out your last year of high school is going to be ruined by more Evangelion bullshit?!" Asuka shouted.

"Oh shit…" Shinji muttered.

"Fuck me…" Mari murmured.

"Yeah, forgot about that, did you?" Asuka asked. "Honestly… how are we going to enjoy ourselves when we're back doing this shit? I just want to get good grades and go to a good college… how can I concentrate with this?"

"We'll work through it." Shinji said. "I doubt maya would make us do a million sync tests like Ritsuko did."

"How do you know it would be Maya?" Asuka asked.

"Just a guess." Shinji replied quickly.

"It's the most logical choice." Rei added. "And she is more than qualified."

"Fine, but what if we have to fight?" Asuka asked. "I don't want to miss school anymore because I'm in the hospital… I'm tired of hospitals."

"We're all tired of hospitals." Mari said. "Maybe if there's more of us, we won't get injured."

"Yeah, or we all end up in the fucking hospital." Asuka muttered. "Because we're all really bad at dodging." Asuka sighed. "Do… do you guys really think we can handle this?"

"I don't know." Mari said. "Maybe?"

"No, we can." Shinji said. "We have each other this time around. It'll be a lot better this time."

"What if something attacks?" Asuka asked.

"Let's just hope nothing happens." Shinji said. "And if it does, we can handle it together."

"Like we should have three years ago." Mari quipped. "This time, we're actually all getting along." Mari smiled. "Imagine how well we can do as an actual team."

"Well… maybe we won't get our asses handed to us." Asuka said. "That'll be nice."

* * *

March 21, 2020 – NERV HQ

Misato was going to the lobby to meet a newcomer. She had been informed by a very gruff and brief meeting with the U.N. Security Council that the U.N. Observer would be arriving shortly. When she got the call from Sumire that the woman had arrived, Misato was less than thrilled. Maya was walking with her as a show of support, and to keep Misato from flying off the handle.

"Figures…" Misato muttered. "Now my new overseer is here…"

As Misato got to the main lobby, she saw a smartly dressed woman with a large briefcase waiting impatiently. She was taller than average for a woman, had long dark hair, a slender build with a moderate bust, and wore glasses. "That must be her." Misato said. "This should be interesting…"

"Just stay calm." Maya said. "You need to be on your best behavior so you can get out from under this stupid shit."

"I'm aware of that, Maya." Misato replied. "I want to be free from their oversight as soon as humanly possible."

"Then just do a good job." Maya said kindly as they walked up to her. "And don't get angry…"

"Only if she starts it…" Misato whispered as she stopped in front of the woman. "Good morning, I'm Colonel…" Misato began.

"I know who you are, Colonel Katsuragi. And I see you brought your presumptive Second–in–Command, Captain Ibuki as well." The woman said as she set down her briefcase. "I am Chief Inspector Yuki Iwasawa of the Asia Pacific Region, the U.N. Observer assigned to oversee and advise this post."

"Hello." Maya said kindly.

"Kinda figured that." Misato said.

"Well, it took you long enough to come get me." Yuki replied. "I don't have time for pleasantries when time is of the essence. Now, let's get down to business…"

"Why is time of the essence exactly?" Misato asked. "There is no new crisis going on right now that I'm aware of."

"Misato…" Maya whispered.

"Of course there is." Yuki said. "Your teams should be entering the Second Branch any time now to begin their search."

"No, they began their search over ten hours ago." Misato replied. "Obviously you've got some jet lag."

"I don't get jet lag, Colonel." Yuki replied.

"Well, Inspector…" Misato began.

" _Chief_ Inspector." Yuki corrected, much to Misato's chagrin.

"Well, _Chief_ Inspector, getting a ten minute lead time from your bosses doesn't give me much time to come find you if you're already here. Perhaps you can blame the time wasting on them and their infinite wisdom." Misato retorted.

"Excuses will solve nothing, Colonel." Yuki replied. "And I'm sure you don't like my being here, but you don't have any choice in the matter. Because of your predecessor's complete disregard for human life and safety, you need to be monitored very closely to avoid another potential word ending mistake."

"And as I reminded the Security Council a few days ago, their own predecessors also had a heavy hand in what transpired not only with Third Impact, but their direct responsibility for Second Impact as well." Misato replied angrily. "So don't go putting the blame squarely on NERV's shoulders. The U.N. is _just_ as culpable for all this bullshit."

"Colonel…" Maya whispered.

"That may be, but the general public doesn't know that, and they never will." Yuki retorted. "So in the interests of keeping the huddled masses as pacified and clueless as possible, I'm here to ensure the Security Council and General Assembly's directives are carried out _to the letter_. Am I being clear enough for you to understand, _Provisional_ Commander?"

"Crystal." Misato replied.

"Now, my first order of business." Yuki said.

"Really?" Misato asked. "I thought we just went over that."

"No, I was explaining exactly why I was here." Yuki said. "Any command decision you make is subject to approval by the Security Council, and my opinion will sway their decisions one way or another."

"I'm already more than aware of their control over my decisions." Misato said through gritted teeth.

"Good… now onto that business I mentioned." Yuki said. "The pilots, have they agreed to fight, or do other measures need to be taken?"

"They've all agreed." Maya replied. "I am synthesizing plugsuits for them now."

"How long will that take?" Yuki asked. "I'd like their training to begin as soon as possible, with them receiving as much training as possible."

"That's not going to happen." Maya replied calmly. "The amount of sync tests my predecessor put them through was exorbitant, excessive, and vindictive. They will be tested once a week as to not interfere too heavily with their school schedule, and combat simulations will be conducted once or twice a week for the same reason."

"Unacceptable." Yuki said. "Four times a week with combat simulator training six days a week. No exceptions."

"I don't believe this falls under your jurisdiction, ma'am." Maya replied. "This isn't a command decision, it's a personnel decision."

"I beg to differ…" Yuki began.

"No, I beg to differ." Maya said, cutting her off. "Those kids went through enough last time. This time will be different, their time will not be abused because someone thinks more testing is going to change anything. Am I being clear?"

"Fine." Yuki said curtly. "I would like to meet with them to discuss their…"

"Absolutely not." Misato said.

"You can't stop me from meeting with them." Yuki said. "That isn't your decision as their Commanding Officer."

"It is my decision not only as their Commanding Officer, but also as their parent." Misato retorted. "You're not meeting with them. They don't need to be analyzed by some half assed pencil pusher who doesn't know the first thing about them."

"I've read their files…" Yuki began.

"Good for you." Misato replied sarcastically. "Obviously your bosses neglected that I already told them that wasn't going to happen. Perhaps they were sitting up on their high horses and couldn't hear me properly when I stated my objections earlier."

"Be that as it may, but I will meet those children whether you like it or not." Yuki said. "And this will be going in my initial report to my superiors."

"Go ahead." Misato said. "You can veto every decision I make, but you can't change that one, it's beyond your power."

"We'll see about that." Yuki said. "Now, I'd like a tour of this facility immediately to access its readiness. Then I want to see the Evangelions, and then I want to see the state of your defense system."

"What about warning the public?" Misato asked.

"About what?" Yuki asked.

"About the EVAs being awake." Misato said.

"It is not important to disclose at this time." Yuki replied. "Now will someone show me what I need to see."

"Yeah, follow us." Misato said gruffly.

"And as soon as the report comes in from Nevada, I want to present for whatever findings they've made." Yuki demanded.

"Well… that can be arranged." Misato said angrily. "Now follow us if you want your tour out of the way before the report from Nevada comes in."

"Very well, Colonel." Yuki said. "Lead the way."

–––

The kids were getting ready to go back to NERV for the first time since they were told they'd been brought back to active duty several days ago. Before they left for the afternoon, Shinji was cleaning with Rei's assistance as he had sent Asuka to get the mail, and told Mari to take out the trash. As Shinji and Rei were finishing up, Shinji heard the door open and saw Mari looking very unhappy.

"What's wrong?" Shinji asked.

"Why does the garbage incinerator have to smell so fucking bad?" Mari asked. "It burns the garbage… it shouldn't smell like its sitting there!"

"Well, some of our neighbors forget to turn them on to vaporize the garbage right away, you know that leaves a stench…" Shinji retorted.

"I liked it when we didn't have stupid neighbors…" Mari grumbled. "And when we didn't have to smell their stupid garbage."

"Mari, stop." Shinji said. "It's garbage, it doesn't smell nice."

"Whatever." Mari said. "I hate doing garbage."

"Well, do you want to get the mail instead?" Shinji asked.

"I'd rather not do anything." Mari replied as Asuka walked in.

"Typical." Asuka said as she put the mail on the counter. "You're fucking lazy."

"Am not!" Mari said. "I just like sitting down!"

"Anything come in the mail?" Shinji asked to change the subject.

"What do you think all this is, baka?" Asuka asked as the pointed to the mail.

"Mail." Rei replied.

"Yeah, just a bunch of bills and junk." Asuka said. "And a few magazines."

Shinji started ruffling thought he mail and saw the magazines she meant. One was wrapped in an opaque gray plastic, one was a Popular Mechanics, and the last one was Gramophone Magazine. Shinji reached out to pick it up and look through it.

"So, are we ready to go?" Asuka asked. "I want to get this shit over with."

"Yeah, I'm ready." Mari said.

"As am I." Rei added.

"So am I." Shinji said as he dangled his keys. "Let's go." He put the magazine down with the rest of the mail. 'Huh… I don't get this magazine… even if it is addressed to me…' Shinji thought as the group started to leave. 'Whatever, I'll deal with it later…'

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 150.0% (New)  
Asuka – N/A  
Mari – N/A  
Rei – N/A

So, a lot to go over this chapter. Firstly, the Evangelions are awake, something the title alludes to nicely. Now, between that massive change and the fact the Second Branch suddenly reappeared from the Sea of Dirac it's been trapped in, NERV is now right back where it was, in the middle of a crisis. I thought showing how the U.N has taken over command, dictating how Misato runs NERV, doing their best to avoid another Gendo situation, which justifiably angers Misato because she never did anything wrong. And then sending an observer to tell her whether or not she can do something will only cause issues going forward, especially considering their first meeting.

As for Asuka losing her blood lust… once you've had your bod ripped apart by the enemy after fighting them all alone, one tends to question entering battle again. Not to mention that Asuka is upset that her mother is trapped in Unit–02 and just wants her mother to be able to live at peace. Mari shares some of Asuka's sentiments, due to her being tortured by Lilith briefly before Third Impact began, but her tune changed when Shinji and Rei reminded them all why they fight. Rei's own thoughts on death were also needed, as she has a unique perspective, having died twice, or three times if you count her being absorbed into Lilith right before Third Impact.

Finally, the additional Evangelions that were mentioned being made from existing samples. When SEELE cut finding to the Evangelions, the samples for the other ordered Units were not all destroyed. Some were kept in a larval state to be used later on if the need arose. The U.N., afraid that more Angels existed, and that SEELE was hiding even more, decided to expand Evangelion production. How this will play in later chapters I won't say, but I promise it will add a lot to the story having three extra EVAs at their disposal.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	3. Chapter 3 – Spectre

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 3 – Spectre  
March 21, 2020 – NERV HQ

Misato was leading Yuki Iwasawa around the base, showing her what she needed to see. Maya was with her to act as a buffer against the woman that was severely grating Misato's nerves less than an hour after meeting her. The situation was beyond uncomfortable, as Misato felt no trust from the Security Council in her ability to command NERV in the best interests of mankind. As they made it to the Evangelion Cage, Yuki stared up in amazement as she saw the Evangelions for the first time.

"Absolutely amazing." Yuki muttered. "They don't look this massive in the files."

"Without anything to judge their scale, you don't really see it until you're in front of them." Maya said. "Even then, it's still hard to imagine."

"And have you determined the cause of their awakening yet?" Yuki asked.

"No." Misato replied curtly. "All we know is that the Second Branch appeared, and they woke up. Anything beyond that is still a mystery."

"That you've had several days to work on." Yuki retorted. "Why have you not found the problem yet?"

"You said you read the files, correct?" Misato asked.

"Yes, all the mission logs I was able to get my hands on." Yuki said.

"Then you should know that any problem we encounter with the Evangelions is not an easy one to fix." Misato said matter–of–factly. "Actually, its damn near impossible to figure what caused the problem without trying to recreate it, which is dangerous to say the least."

"Yes, the Berserk incidents are of great concern." Yuki replied. "As is the dimensional shifting…"

"That was one time." Misato said. "And under a very extreme set of circumstances."

"A teenaged boy losing control of his emotions." Yuki said sarcastically. "Yes, that is very unique… in fact, it seems almost entirely impossible for that to occur again."

"Look, what's in those reports pales in comparison to what actually happened." Misato said. "Words can never fully do justice to what goes on here. Just pray you don't actually have to experience it for yourself."

"That may be, but I still need to assess the emotional state of the pilots." Yuki asked again. "We cannot allow them to run with unchecked emotions any longer. It somehow effects their ability to sync with those beasts."

"They're Evangelions, not beasts." Maya said reproachfully. "The beasts are the Angels that attack us."

"Fine, the Evangelions." Yuki corrected herself. "I still don't fully understand how they are able to sync with the EVAs."

"Concentration." Maya said, giving her usual cover story. "The LCL acts as a nerve impulse medium and allows their brainwaves to connect to the EVA's central nervous system. This in turn gives them control over the EVA and its movements."

"And I already told you, the answer to meeting them is no." Misato said. "They have a clean bill of health, and you're foolish to think that anything can reign in the emotions of a teenager, let alone these four strong willed ones."

"Medication will level their temperament." Yuki replied nonchalantly.

"Absolutely not! I forbid it!" Maya said loudly. "They will not be given medication unless deemed medically necessary, which won't ever happen."

"You don't have the authority to override that decision." Yuki said.

"Want to make a bet she does?" Misato asked.

"Just one word to the base physician and that will all change." Yuki replied.

"The base physician doesn't like unneeded medications." Maya retorted. "That and it will affect their ability to sync properly, which would affect us all in the long run." Maya pointed at the Evangelions. "And if they can't sync properly and something happens, I'd put the blame squarely on you."

"Fine, bring me to your Command Center." Yuki said. "I think I've seen all I need to see here."

"Right this way." Misato said as she and Maya lead her towards the Command Center.

"So, what have you done with the Evangelions exactly?" Yuki asked as they walked towards the elevators.

"We've updated and replaced any components that needed so after Third Impact." Maya replied as they began their assent to Command Center. "But save for that, it's just been basic maintenance and diagnostics for the past three years."

"And Unit–03's status?" Yuki asked.

"It's 70% complete." Maya said. "We're waiting on some severely damaged section to grow back. It's slow going, but we're lucky it was salvageable at all."

"And have you been able to test the city's combat configuration?" Yuki asked. "In case the need arises, we need to be certain the city can properly defend itself."

"How could we possibly do that without starting a public panic?" Misato asked as the elevator arrived on the proper floor. "We tested the emergency alert system, and it worked just fine, other than that, all we can do is visually inspect the system and hope for the best."

"And the AIS?" Yuki asked as they exited the elevator. "Did you test that?"

"The MAGI are running a Level–5 Diagnostic on all the weapon sites." Maya said. "There's still three days left before we get any results… then we have to go around and inspect the magazines for any signs of munitions decay."

"It may very well be more cost efficient to scrap the old munitions and procure new stock." Yuki said.

"That is abundantly wasteful." Misato said. "We'll inspect the munitions and then fill our reserves accordingly."

"Besides, we can make the shells, powder bags, and warheads ourselves, it's the missiles that require ordering." Maya added.

"I will put it in my budget recommendation for approval." Yuki said as Misato gave her a puzzled look.

"They want to give us more money?" Misato asked.

"Yes, the funds you were receiving, while substantial, were for a peacetime NERV, set to maintain and repair itself while waiting for the inevitability that this would all begin again." Yuki explained. "Now that there is a state of near war, we have to be ready to appropriately fund this agency to the fullest extent we are allowed."

"Well, I'll be damned…" Misato muttered as they got to the Command Center, and Maya pulled her aside.

"Colonel, I have a pressing engagement." Maya said. "It's a meeting I can't miss. Permission to be excused?"

"Permission granted." Misato said as she winked.

"Thank you, ma'am." Maya said.

"Tell them I'll be late getting home tonight." Misato whispered. "You don't want to be late, do you Captain?" Misato said in her regular voice.

"No, ma'am, I don't." Maya replied as she went off.

"Where is she off to, Colonel?" Yuki asked.

"She has a pressing meeting she can't be late for." Misato said. "Now if you'll follow me inside, the Command Center is through here."

–––

The kids were waiting in Maya's office. They had been waiting for her for over an hour, and Asuka was getting impatient. Shinji was doing his best to keep her calm, but after waiting so long, Asuka's patience was all but gone. Rei was looking around the office, surprised at how much it had changed under its new occupant while Mari was lounging on quietly on the couch, dead to the world.

"What the fuck is taking her so long?" Asuka asked. "She's never late."

"Perhaps something happened." Rei said as she continued looking around the office.

"Like what?" Asuka asked. "An Angel?"

"There would be alarms for that, Asuka." Shinji said. "She's probably in a meeting."

"Well, she's supposed to be meeting with us!" Asuka said angrily.

"Asuka, I know you don't want to be here, but a lot's happened the last few days." Shinji said. "And I know you hate waiting, but you just have to be patient."

"I hate it when you say that, baka." Asuka grumbled.

"Well, it's true." Shinji said. "You just have to do wait till she gets here. I'm sure she'll apologize for being late."

"That's not gonna be enough."

"Asuka, please relax." Rei said calmly. "Maya does not deserve your ire. She must have a lot to deal with, and I'm sure she won't let it happen again."

"Thank you, Rei…" Maya said, slightly out of breath. "I promise… it won't happen again."

"It better not." Asuka said rudely.

"Asuka, be nice." Shinji said scoldingly. "But Maya, why were you late?"

"The new U.N. overseer is here." Maya said. "Yuki Iwasawa… she's a pain in the ass, but I think she means well. But she's getting on Misato's nerves. I was there to make sure Misato doesn't get canned."

"Cause she'd totally hit her if she got pissed off enough." Asuka joked.

"Yeah, but I think they'll be ok." Maya said. "With Hyuga and Aoba in the Command Center, they should be able to keep them separated." Maya noticed Mari on the couch. "Am I that late?"

"It's only been an hour…" Shinji said quietly.

"An hour and twenty–two minutes." Asuka said. "But who's keeping track."

"Apparently you are." Maya said. "Can someone wake her up please?"

"With pleasure." Asuka said devilishly.

"Asuka, no!" Shinji said as Asuka got up.

"Don't worry, baka." Asuka said quietly. "I'll be gentle with your best friend." Asuka walked behind the couch and leaned over Mari's ear. "WAKE UP!" Asuka shouted.

Mari jumped at the sound of Asuka's bellowing voice in her ear and rolled onto the floor, landing in a misshapen lump on the floor.

"Every fucking time…" Mari muttered. "Can't you just poke my ear or face like Shinji does?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, whatever…" Mari muttered as she picked herself up. "Big meanie…"

"You have a very nice office, Maya." Rei said.

"Thank you, Rei." Maya said. "So… you're here for some sync tests."

"I guess…" Shinji said.

"It has been a long time." Rei said.

"Let's get this over with." Asuka muttered.

"Yeah, I wanna smell some LCL." Mari said.

"God, you're so weird." Asuka said.

"What, it's been so long!" Mari said.

"Well, before you even start with the sync tests we have to make sure these fit first." Maya said. "I uh… had Misato send me some measurements of you guys to make new plugsuits."

"What do you mean?" Asuka asked.

"Well, your old ones are too small." Maya said. "Shinji's grown quite a bit, and Mari, you're than Shinji, and you've… filled out some."

"And what's that's supposed to mean?" Mari asked.

"Your hips have gotten bigger, and your breasts…" Maya stammered.

"Your tits are huge four eyes." Asuka said. "It's ridiculous."

"What about me?" Rei asked.

"Well Rei, you've Asuka's height, you're so much taller than you were." Maya said.

"And I am no longer… flat." Rei said.

"Rei you were never flat." Asuka said. "I was though."

"Jesus, how self–conscious are you, princess?" Mari asked. "You weren't flat then, and you certainly aren't now."

"Baka, why are you so quiet?" Asuka asked.

"Asuka, you already know how beautiful I think you are." Shinji said. "What else is there for me to say?"

"Well… thank you baka." Asuka said.

"So, how did Misato measure us exactly?" Asuka asked.

"Well, I guess she did it while you were asleep…" Maya replied. "Otherwise you'd have remembered, right?"

"I would hope so…" Asuka muttered.

"So, are you still making them?" Asuka asked.

"No, they're done, but we need to make sure they fit properly before we rush you to sync testing." Maya explained as she walked over to a closet and pulled out four plugsuits. Unbeknownst to Asuka and Rei, Shinji had already received a new plugsuit, but they assumed it was new like the rest of theirs.

"So here you go." Maya said as she handed them over. "Fresh from the fabricators."

Asuka held her up and it looked exactly as her old one did. The design had not changed one bit. "How are these upgraded?" Asuka asked. "I'm only seeing the exact same thing I used to wear. The colors and everything are the same."

"There weren't any cosmetic changes, Asuka." Maya said. "It's all the tech inside the plugsuits. There's a new layer of composite material between the outer skin and the inner membrane to better control body temperature, improved life–science sensors, a new, lighter and longer–lasting Life Support System, , better soles on the feet for walking in rough terrain, and a few other improvements for comfort."

"So it's basically the same thing, but nicer." Asuka said. "Cool…"

"Well, yes, but I am working on a newer design… one that's more streamlined and hopefully easier to manufacture." Maya said. "But it's still in development."

"For how much longer?" Rei asked.

"Oh, probably not for the next year or so." Maya said. "There's a lot of other research and development going on here that requires my attention."

"Like what?" Rei asked.

"Weapons and armor upgrades for the Evangelions mostly." Maya replied. "Nothing that complicated… just time consuming."

"So after we try these on, we can go?" Asuka asked.

"Yep." Maya replied. "So, wherever you want to change, go ahead."

"Just turn around and close the blinds." Asuka said. "We'll get this over with right here."

"What about Shinji?" Maya asked.

"I just close my eyes and wait for them to change." Shinji said. "Right?"

"Well… just ignore them changing and look at me." Asuka joked. "You're allowed to, baka, I like it when you look."

"Shinji, why don't you go to my bathroom and change?" Maya said. "The girls can change out here."

"Ok, Maya." Shinji said as he took his plugsuit and disappeared into the bathroom.

"That's no fun…" Asuka muttered as Shinji disappeared behind closed doors and Maya turned her back to them.

"Oh, get over it." Mari said as she began stripping. "It's not like you don't see him naked all the time."

"It is nice that he get some privacy." Rei said as she changed quickly into her plugsuit, leaving her clothes strewn around her.

"Oh, whatever." Asuka said. "It's not like we all haven't seen each other naked before…"

"Well, that may be the case, but you guys really shouldn't change together like that outside of the apartment." Maya said. "People might get the wrong idea."

"The idea that we're in love?" Asuka asked as she pulled on her plugsuit.

"I… I guess." Maya said.

"Yeah, because anyone who can't see you're in love with him is blind." Mari said as she pulled on her own plugsuit.

"Are you being sarcastic four eyes?" Asuka asked as she activated her plugsuit.

"No, I mean it." Mari replied as her own plugsuit hissed as the air was pulled from it and it formed to her body. "You guys always look so happy when you're together."

"Well, we are happy." Asuka replied. "Ok, Maya, you can turn around." Asuka then raised her voice. "Baka, you can come out now!"

Shinji reappeared in his plugsuit, acting as though it was the first time he'd worn one in a long time.

"So, how do they feel?" Maya asked.

"They feel good." Mari said. "The fit feels even better than before!"

"I would have to agree." Rei added. "They feel much less restrictive."

"And my feet don't hurt so much now." Asuka said happily. "I mean, I wouldn't want to test my luck walking on rocks or something, but I probably could."

"I like it too, Maya." Shinji replied. "It feels a lot lighter than before."

"That'd be the LS Pack." Maya said. "It's the same size, but its internal components are less than half the weight of the original."

"How is that even possible?" Asuka asked.

"Newer, lighter, and more efficient chemical compositions." Maya explained.

"So, now that we've tried them on, can we go?" Asuka asked.

"Once you change out of them, Asuka." Maya replied sarcastically.

"Oh, whatever." Asuka replied.

"Wait, we don't even get to smell some LCL?" Mari asked.

"Not today, no." Maya said. "Probably next time."

"This blows… I wanted to smell the sweet scent of LCL again…" Mari mumbled sullenly as Maya's phone began to ring.

Maya moved to pick up the phone, and saw who it was on the caller ID. "Hello Colonel." Maya said. "What can I do for you?"

" _Captain, are you still in your meeting?_ " Misato asked.

"Yes, I'm still with the kids." Maya replied. "Do you need me for something?"

" _No, I just wanted to let you know the live feed is coming in from the Second Branch._ " Misato said.

"I'd like to come up and see it, but I'm afraid I'm a bit tied up." Maya said. "Unless you need me to rescue you from the pencil pusher…"

" _No, no, I just wanted to check._ " Misato said.

"Is she listening to you talk to me?" Maya asked.

" _Most likely._ " Misato said. " _Do you want to watch the feed from your office? I can have it directed down._ "

"That would be wonderful." Maya said. "I'll have them watch it with me, if that's alright."

" _Perfectly acceptable, Captain Ibuki._ " Misato said. " _Hyuga will have it simulcast on secure channel 5._ "

"Thank you, Colonel." Maya said as she hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Rei asked.

"The teams in Nevada are about to start their live feed from the Second Branch." Maya said. "Do you guys want to watch it?"

"I don't mind." Rei said. "I am curious to see what happened."

"Why not?" Mari said.

"I'm kinda curious too…" Shinji said. "I want to know what happened."

"I thought we were leaving…" Asuka moaned.

"Asuka, it won't take that long." Shinji said. "Just another hour."

"Fine, I'll stay." Asuka said grumpily.

"So, what are they going to tell us?" Mari asked.

"Just what they've found, if anything." Maya said. "They should start any second now…"

–––

Misato was pacing about the Command Center. As Yuki gazed at the main holographic screen in amazement and continued her discussions with Hyuga and Aoba about the readiness of Tokyo–3's defensive systems, Misato kept waiting for the feed from Nevada to connect.

"What's taking so long?" Misato asked. "The feed was supposed to be up fifteen minutes ago."

"Ma'am, we're experiencing some weather interference." Aoba said. "Two weak typhoons north west of Mariana Islands are effecting communications."

"Of the undersea cables?" Misato asked.

"Yes, Colonel." Aoba replied. "The storms are highly charged, more than usual."

"Switch it to a satellite feed." Misato ordered. "We don't have time to wait for Mother Nature."

"Colonel, satellite feeds are noticeably less secure." Yuki said. "Perhaps it would be best if we directed the communications through a different undersea channel."

"Ma'am that would take a lot of doing." Hyuga said. "It would be a lot easier if we just…"

"Captain, I would prefer it if we could keep the possibility of this information being leaked to the general public at an absolute minimum." Yuki replied. "Undersea cables are the best way to ensure that doesn't happen."

"Ever heard of Operation Ivy Bells, Chief Inspector?" Misato asked.

"No, should I have?" Yuki asked.

"Well if you had, you would know undersea cables can still have their transmissions intercepted." Misato retorted. "Aoba, carry out my original order, and ensure the highest encryption rate possible."

"512–bit AES, coming right up." Aoba replied. "Should only be a minute."

"Thank you, Aoba." Misato said as Yuki turned to her.

"Colonel, I gave you a very specific order." Yuki said. "Why are you countermanding it?"

"Because it wasn't an order, it was a suggestion." Misato said. "Look, you're clearly competent, but this is the real world. The cut and dry nature of reports doesn't work out here. Give it some time, you'll come to understand that."

"I don't see what you're getting at Colonel, I have plenty of training in field operations…" Yuki began.

"Training does not equate to real world experience." Misato said bluntly. "Technical qualifications aside, you seem quite naïve about the real world."

"I am not naïve!" Yuki said angrily.

"Could have fooled me…" Misato uttered.

"Uh, Colonel?" Hyuga said. "The feed is up."

"We have audio…" Aoba muttered. "And video coming online now."

"Thank you." Misato said as she turned her back to a still fuming Yuki. Misato looked directly ahead of her as Kotomi and Takao came into view, standing in what looked like the Command Center of the Second Branch. "Ok guys, what have you got?"

The two of them looked at each other and didn't seem to know what to say, or who should go first. Misato sighed deeply as she waited impatiently for them to respond.

"Ok Koji, give me a status report in the search and rescue." Misato ordered. "Have you found anything?"

" _Well… it's worse than we thought._ " Takao replied. " _It's… it's a mess here, Colonel. I mean… it's just too much._ "

"Are there any survivors?" Misato asked.

" _No, Colonel, there is no life here, there hasn't been for some time._ " Takao replied. " _Everyone is long dead…very long dead._ "

"Are there any indications as to what happened?" Misato asked.

" _It looks as though they all went insane in here, or they were all subjected to excruciating pain… I don't think we'll ever know…_ " Takao reported shakily. " _Everything is in disarray… you have to see it to believe it._ "

"Show us." Misato ordered.

" _Are you sure you want me to turn the camera and show you Colonel?_ " Takao asked.

"Quite sure." Misato replied.

" _Then be warned._ " Takao said. " _This isn't for the faint of heart._ "

The camera moved shakily as it was panned around to show the scene behind them. All around them were mutilated bodies, contorted and ripped apart, faces frozen in agony, with dried blood pooled all around them. Their flesh looked like it had been cut and burned. Every single body they could see looked just as grotesque as the next. Some still sitting at their posts, while others had made attempt to run or otherwise try to escape.

"Oh my god…" Aoba uttered.

"What the fuck happened there…" Hyuga muttered.

"That's worse than anything I've ever seen…" Sumire murmured.

As everyone in the Command Center looked on with as much stoicism as they could muster, tempered by many of their own experiences from the JSSDF on their own base several years before. Yuki however, was unprepared, and completely unaware for the horrors of such death, and doubled over before vomiting and continually heaving all over the floor.

"I think we get the idea." Misato said coldly.

" _I apologize Colonel, I did warn you._ " Takao replied as the camera panned away from the death and devastation.

"It's fine, Koji." Misato said as she looked at the still heaving Yuki. "Most of us held it together…"

" _Is there anything else Colonel?_ " Takao asked. " _Regarding the staff._ "

"Are they all like… that?" Misato asked.

" _Yes, unfortunately they are._ " Takao said. " _But it gets progressively worse the closer to they were to the Evangelion._ "

"So it was worse as they got closer…?" Misato repeated.

" _Much._ " Takao said. " _It's as though they were mutated by some force._ "

"I don't want to say this, but the bodies will need to be recovered for disposal and… testing…" Misato ordered.

" _Understood ma'am._ " Takao said. " _It would be good to understand how this happened._ "

"Has everyone been accounted for at least?" Misato asked.

" _Yes Colonel, the body count matches the staff listed as present at the time of the test._ " Takao replied. " _Do you want them all sent?_ "

"Yes, with indications on where the bodies were located in relation to the Evangelion." Misato replied. "It will help Maya in organizing the data."

" _Understood ma'am._ " Takao replied.

"Speaking of Evangelions…" Misato segued. "Kotomi, has Unit–04 been found."

" _Yes, ma'am._ " Kotomi replied as Takao left the camera's field of view. " _It's mostly intact._ "

"Define mostly intact." Misato asked.

" _The armor around the chest has been vaporized or melted, leaving the S2 Engine exposed._ " Kotomi explained. " _But the S2 Engine itself seems completely intact. The micro fractures present before the test seem to have healed themselves entirely._ "

"So it's useable?" Misato asked.

" _Absolutely. Whether it's safe or not still needs to be investigated._ " Kotomi replied. " _Overall, it just needs to be upgraded to the current standard for the Mark I's, and have a pilot assigned to it._ "

"What of the Core itself? Are we sure something like this won't happen again if its activated?" Misato asked. "Are there any signs of sabotage?"

" _Difficult to tell at this time, Colonel. But upon a simple inspection, it seems fine._ " Kotomi replied. " _However, after an inspection of the base's MAGI System, it looks as though they've been recording data continuously since the incident occurred. It should help with understanding if anything was tampered with._ "

"Have them connected to a VPN so that they can be analyzed remotely." Misato ordered.

" _Yes, ma'am._ " Kotomi replied.

"And what of the base itself?" Misato asked. "Is it in usable condition?"

" _Yes, it is._ " Kotomi replied. " _Once the bodies are removed and the stench is… eliminated, the base can return to normal operations after some minor upgrades._ "

"Alright, we'll figure out what teams will be deployed to the site to begin its reintegration." Misato said. "Do you need more people?"

" _Not at the moment._ " Kotomi said. " _I have everyone I need to recover the Evangelion, anything beyond that wouldn't really be my department._ "

"Ok, inspect Unit–04 thoroughly, and then get it ready for transport to the First Branch in Massachusetts." Misato ordered.

"No, Colonel, it won't be going to the First Branch." Yuki said as she straightened up and wiped her face. "Unit–04 is to be transferred here to NERV HQ once it has been determined that it no longer poses a threat."

" _And who might you be, ma'am?_ " Kotomi asked.

"I am Chief Inspector Yuki Iwasawa of the Asia Pacific Region, the U.N. Observer assigned to oversee and advise this post." Yuki replied. "Please have Unit–04 readied for transport at the earliest possible time."

"Belay that, Kotomi." Misato said. "Chief Inspector, you do realize that we're already refurbishing and upgrading an Evangelion, plus we have two to maintain as it stands. The First Branch built it, they can refurb it. The less movement a damaged Evangelion with an exposed Core has the better."

"That's not the most logical choice if it to be deployed here, Colonel!" Yuki said.

"No, but it's the most practical choice considering the distance is safer, and Unit–04 can be recovered if it only falls to the ground and not the bottom of the Pacific." Misato retorted.

" _So, Colonel, have Unit–04 shipped to MIT?_ " Kotomi asked.

"Yes." Misato said. "That's my final decision."

"It's not yours to make, Colonel." Yuki said.

"Ok, Kotomi, I have to go." Misato said sharply. "I have to take care of something."

" _Understood, Colonel._ " Kotomi replied. " _Tell Maya I said hi._ "

"We will, Kotomi." Hyuga said as he shut off the video feed.

Misato turned on Yuki and walked right up to her. "Where do you get off telling me where that Evangelion is going?" Misato asked angrily.

"As the U.N.'s representative, it is my duty to assign where the Evangelion is going." Yuki replied sternly. "It was to come here so that it could be immediately deployed upon its completion, not moved farther away from its final destination."

"Well, the decision's been made." Misato said.

"No, it hasn't." Yuki replied. "I'm going to go report to my superiors about these findings, and then give them the options, they will make the final decision, which I will pass to you, _Colonel_."

"Then I'll come with you to explain my side of…" Misato began.

"There's no need." Yuki said coldly. "My reports are to be given directly without supervision. Your presence is no longer needed."

"Excuse me?!" Misato asked angrily.

"Going forward, I am your single point of contact for the Security Council, any decisions or reports will go solely though me." Yuki explained. "No if you'll excuse me, I have a report to deliver about my first day here."

As Yuki walked out, Misato was fuming.

"Motherfucker!" Misato shouted. "This is fucking ridiculous! How am I supposed to get anything done without being able to report to those assholes on the Security Council directly?!"

"I'm not sure Colonel." Hyuga said. "Maybe you should follow her though, the kids are still on base, and I thought you said you didn't want her talking to them."

"Shit, that's right." Misato said angrily as she began to leave. "Hyuga, you're in charge till I get back."

"Understood, Colonel." Hyuga replied as Misato ran off.

–––

The kids had finally left Maya's office after the shock of seeing what had happened in Nevada. They were all still a bit stunned at the sheer gravity of what had happened.

"That was _beyond_ fucked up." Asuka said. "Thanks for making me stay to watch that shit guys, really made my fucking day."

"We didn't know, Asuka." Rei said. "We're all equally disturbed by what we saw, don't act like you're the only one who is upset."

"I… oh whatever." Asuka muttered.

"I am glad we did not have to have a sync test though." Rei said.

"Yeah, we just had to try on those damn plugsuits." Asuka said. "Better than having to sit in LCL for half the afternoon."

"Hey, I don't mind sitting in the LCL!" Mari exclaimed.

"Yeah, but you're weird." Asuka said. "The rest of us don't."

"Mari's not weird, she's just different." Shinji said.

"Hey, you're my boyfriend, don't defend her!" Asuka said.

"But she's my best friend." Shinji retorted. "It's a hard choice to make."

"So, you like sleeping on the couch then." Asuka joked.

"Why would I be sleeping on the couch?" Shinji asked.

"For taking her side, baka." Asuka replied.

"Asuka, you're not going to put onii–chan on the couch." Rei said. "You don't like sleeping alone, you hate it."

"Don't tell him that!" Asuka said angrily as they got to the lobby. "Now what leverage do I have when I'm mad at him?!"

"Why do you need leverage?" Rei asked. "You guys don't really fight all that much."

"Cause we don't really need to argue…" Asuka said quietly.

"Excuse me!" Someone called to the kids from across the room. They looked up and saw a smartly dressed woman, Yuki, rushing towards them.

"Who the fuck is that?" Asuka asked as they paused to see who shouted at them.

"No idea, but she looks kinda out of place here. Almost like she doesn't belong." Mari said as they started moving again. "Let's just get home."

"Excuse me, could I speak to you a moment?!" Yuki called again.

"HEY!" Misato shouted. "Not another step, Chief Inspector!"

Yuki and the kids froze to see a red faced Misato standing in the doorway behind Yuki, out of breath from apparently running from the Command Center to catch up to her. Yuki began slowly moving again but Misato moved faster.

"I said not another step, Chief Inspector! I already told you you couldn't speak with them!" Misato called out as she pointed at the kids. "Kids, get the hell out of here. I'll see you at home."

"But Misato…" Shinji began.

"Home, now!" Misato called out.

"Right, we're going." Mari said.

"Don't have to tell me twice." Asuka said as the four of them went towards the parking garage and disappeared from sight.

"Colonel, that was unnecessary." Yuki said.

"No, it was entirely necessary." Misato retorted. "I specifically told you not to talk to them."

"I happened to see them and wanted to speak with them." Yuki said matter–of–factly. "What's the harm in that?"

"The harm is they don't need to be exposed to new people for no fucking reason." Misato said. "Especially people from the U.N. that SEELE was in control of at one time!"

"How do they know about that?" Yuki asked. "That's classified."

"They have the clearance." Misato said. "And they needed to know why they were put through what they were put through."

"That's beside the point, they are Evangelion pilots…" Yuki began.

"No, they're children." Misato said. "Children who should have never been exposed to the responsibilities they were exposed to the first time, and are now forced to be exposed to for a second time!"

"I still need to meet them Colonel, whether you like it or not." Yuki said. "I need to interview them for my report."

"Why?" Misato asked. "They haven't been active for three years, and everything you need from them is in their debriefings."

"I want to get to know them and understand them." Yuki said.

"No." Misato said flatly. "You're here to observe what goes on and report everything to your masters. Meeting the kids and talking to them goes beyond observation."

"Fine." Yuki said. "I'll be sure to mention it in my report. If you'll excuse me."

"Yeah, you're excused…" Misato muttered. "You fucking pain in the ass…"

–––

The kids had just gotten home, and were tired from their long day. They were discussing Misato's outburst in the lobby when they got in the door.

"I still don't get it." Rei said. "Why did she yell at that woman?"

"Who the hell cares?" Asuka replied. "Does it really matter? She yelled at her and we got to leave, I honestly don't care about anything else right now."

"Still, I wonder who it was." Shinji said.

"Again, who cares?" Asuka asked. "Unless it has to do with Angels or Evangelions, it's not a "me" problem, it's a "Misato" problem."

"Asuka, that's a bit insensitive." Shinji said.

"Don't care." Asuka said. "I said I'd do this, I didn't say I'd be happy about it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap." Asuka smiled. "You're welcome to join me if you want."

"I'd love to, but I have to cook." Shinji said.

"Your loss." Asuka said as she went to their room.

"I think I'm gonna nap too." Mari said. "Seeing as Asuka interrupted my last one."

"I'll be watching TV if you need me, onii–chan." Rei said as she followed Asuka and Mari out. "What are we having?"

"No idea." Shinji said absentmindedly. "Maybe something different like beef stroganoff…"

"Oh…" rei said.

"Don't worry, Rei, I'll make yours with no meat and extra mushrooms." Shinji said kindly.

"Thank you, onii–chan." Rei said as she walked out.

Shinji began pulling pots and pans out for dinner, his eyes fell on the mail still on the table from that morning. She walked over and picked up was the Gramophone Magazine addressed to him.

"So weird…" Shinji said. "I wonder if Asuka subscribed for me…" Shinji chuckled. "No, she'd get me a cooking magazine… still can't scoff at something free."

Shinji opened the magazine and looked through it, flipping through the pages past the various articles on classical music till he saw something fall out. He picked up the small card which only had the words " _The 22nd, you know the where and the when_ " written on it. Shinji glanced at the calendar seeing it was the 21st of March.

"Looks like I have to be up early tomorrow…" Shinji muttered as he threw the note down the sink and turned on the garbage disposal. "Better get started before they all get worried."

* * *

March 22, 2020 – City Center, Tokyo–3

Shinji was in a rush to get somewhere. He'd gotten up very early while everyone was still asleep, leaving without making anyone breakfast, let alone telling them where he was going, taking only a few things with him, including the gun he kept in his desk. As he got to the city center, he slowed down and looked where his meeting was to take place. He passed it and then stopped as close to the meeting spot as he felt comfortable getting and parked the Ferrari a few blocks away. Shinji got out of the car and looked around. The streets were deserted because it was still so early, and yet, Shinji felt uneasy, as though everyone was watching him as he walked.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Shinji wondered.

As Shinji rounded the corner to where his meeting was to take place, he saw the alley was much darker up close. Shinji stepped nervously inside, gripping his waistband tightly.

"On time as always, eh Shinji?" A voice from the darkness said. "Things never seem to change, do they?"

Shinji pulled the gun he'd brought from his waistband and pointed it towards the voice. "Show yourself." Shinji commanded.

"Easy, kid." The voice said a figure stepped out of the shadows. "You know it's me."

"I know who the note was supposed to be from." Shinji replied. "But I don't know who actually sent it, do I?"

"Well, it's nice that you're being cautious." Kaji replied as he emerged from the shadows and Shinji lowered the gun. "Could come in handy if things start going sideways from here on out."

–––

Asuka was just waking up. As she rolled over, she noticed a familiar warmth was not there next to her. She opened her eyes to verify what she thought, and was upset that that she was alone.

"What the fuck…" Asuka muttered as she got out of bed. "I don't even smell bacon…he better be sick or something to have gone off like this and not said anything!"

Asuka walked out of her room to find Rei in the living room reading quietly.

"Hey, have you seen Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"No, I have not." Rei said. "I assumed you and he were… otherwise occupied."

"Why would you think that?" Asuka asked.

"It's the only thing that keeps Shinji from being up making us all breakfast." Mari said as she left her own room. "I'd have assumed the same thing."

"But where is onii–chan if he's not with you or cooking breakfast?" Rei asked.

"That's a good question…" Asuka muttered as she wandered to the kitchen and began looking for Shinji's keys. "He's not here…" Asuka muttered. "He took the Ferrari."

"Maybe he went to the store?" Mari suggested.

"You know as well as I do he never takes that car to go shopping!" Asuka said. "He must have to go somewhere in a hurry…"

"But where?" Rei asked.

"I don't know, and that's why I'm trying not to freak out!" Asuka snapped.

"Look, why don't we call him and see where he is." Mari suggested as she dialed her phone. "See, it's… straight to voice mail…"

"It what?!" Asuka shouted. "He never turns it off! He's in trouble!"

"Ok, Asuka, stop. Maybe his phone died or something… you don't need to start freaking out right away." Mari said sternly. "Look, we'll tell Misato when she wakes up, and she'll help us look for him, ok?"

"Fine…" Asuka said as she started pacing. "But if she's not up soon, I'm going to go wake her lazy ass up…"

–––

Shinji stared in disbelief at Kaji standing in front of him. He was older, and he'd grown a shaggy beard and wore his hair longer, but he still had the same old cocky grin he'd had the first time Shinji had met him.

"Boy, it's nice to see you again." Kaji said. "How have you been?"

"Surprised." Shinji muttered. "I honestly thought that first note was a joke, that you were alive."

"Wonders never cease." Kaji joked. "Yet you still came to meet me in Atsugi like nothing had happened. I still remember your face when you saw me…"

"I almost passed out from shock." Shinji replied. "But I thought you said then that you were never coming back… that you were staying dead…"

"Well, times change, kiddo." Kaji said. "That was when we were naïve enough to think that the EVAs would stay asleep for the rest of time, and that things would go back to normal. Can't stay away now."

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"I have information I need to give to Misato." Kaji said. "Something she can only hear from me."

"But you're dead to them." Shinji said. "They still cry about you… Asuka and Misato. They can't… they can't know I've been lying."

"Well, for Asuka, that would be two lies." Kaji said. "Or am I wrong?"

"What…?" Shinji muttered.

"Do you really think I wouldn't surveil you from time to time?" Kaji asked. "I don't get why you'd be going to NERV for anything other than training."

"You were watching us?" Shinji asked.

"Only to make sure you were safe." Kaji said. "You have no idea what was lurking out there that first year and a half…" Kaji looked around nervously. "But we can talk about this alter… someone safer and less public."

"But you wanted to meet here." Shinji retorted.

"Yes, meet." Kaji said. "Not converse." Kaji sighed. "Where did you park?"

"Two blocks that way." Shinji said, pointing west.

"Ok, lead the way kid." Kaji said.

"Where are we going?" Shinji asked.

"The apartment, where else?" Kaji asked.

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"I can't tell you yet." Kaji said. "It's something you all need to hear at once." Kaji said. "And keep that gun handy."

"Seriously?" Shinji asked as Kaji pulled out his own gun.

"Can never be too careful." Kaji replied.

Kaji followed Shinji to the car, and was amazed to see his old car again, its bright red paint glistening in the early morning light.

"Still as gorgeous as ever…" Kaji said. "You did a good job keeping the car up."

"Well, I didn't want to ruin it or anything." Shinji said. "Asuka would kill me if I did. It's yours though, if you want it back. I have the SUV…"

"No, no." Kaji replied. "It was a gift, I can't take it back." Kaji smiled. "Besides, I can get another car."

"How?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, I wasn't exactly broke working for the government, NERV, and SEELE." Kaji joked. "I moved enough money to make a very comfortable life for myself."

"So, are you sure about going to the apartment so soon?" Shinji asked seriously as he turned the car on.

"Look, you could either try and break it to them slowly or pull off the Band–Aid all at once." Kaji said. "Which is the better option here."

Shinji thought for a moment while the car warmed back up. "Yeah… good point." Shinji replied as he shifted into gear. "Are you sure about this?"

"As sure as I can be, kid." Kaji said. "There isn't any easy way to do the whole "I'm not dead" is there?"

"Yeah… just be prepared for this to badly." Shinji replied as they drove off.

"Don't worry, I'm ready." Kaji replied.

–––

Misato was sleeping soundly in bed, huddled beneath her sheets in an awkward position, her arms and legs outstretched at odd angles. She was asleep that is, until Asuka came in to get her attention in an almost frantic tone. Rei and Mari followed behind her, but could do nothing more than watch as Asuka began to try and rouse the unsuspecting Misato.

"Misato, wake the fuck up!" Asuka shouted worriedly.

"Not unless… you have the breakfast …" Misato muttered.

"It's important!" Asuka shouted. "Shinji's missing!"

"Not now… go away…" Misato mumbled back. "Oh yeah… hands so strong… body so muscular…"

"Asuka, no!" Rei cried as Asuka raised her hand, and Rei reached out and grab her arm, but she was too late.

SLAP

"Wake the fuck up you moron!" Asuka shouted as Misato recoiled from the slap.

"What the hell was that for?" Misato asked as she rubbed her cheek.

"Shinji's missing!" Asuka said angrily. "Weren't you listening to me?!"

"No, I was asleep." Misato retorted. "But you didn't need to slap me."

"Nothing else was getting through to you." Asuka replied bluntly. "So did you hear me this time?!"

"Something about Shinji…" Misato said.

"Yeah, he's fucking missing!" Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, calm down, he not missing." Misato said.

"His phone is off, and he left without telling us something was going on." Asuka explained frantically. "He never goes out without telling us where he's going! He always answers his phone! There's something wrong, gottverdammt!"

"Is she overreacting?" Misato asked.

"Well, onii–chan did leave without saying anything…" Rei said.

"And his phone is going straight to voicemail…" Mari added.

"Alright, alright…" Misato muttered. "Let me get dressed and we'll go look for him."

–––

Shinji parked the car and turned it off. He looked nervously over at Kaji, having second thoughts about what they were about to do.

"Are you sure about this?" Shinji asked.

"Not entirely." Kaji replied. "But… I mean… there isn't any other way. You can't tell Misato about anything I know without telling them where you get the information from. Then you have to explain all that alone, and m not letting you take the brunt of whatever they're going to do alone."

"So we're doing this." Shinji said nervously.

"Yeah, we are Shinji." Kaji replied confidently. "And whatever happens, happens."

"Ok, but I go in first." Shinji said. "Just wait behind me in the hallway, ok?"

"Sure." Kaji said. "And don't be nervous… ok?"

"Sure, tell me to be exactly what I am right now…" Shinji muttered. "It's impossible to not be nervous right now."

"Well, do your best." Kaji said encouragingly as the pair walked towards the elevator.

"I always try to." Shinji replied as the pair stepped inside and Shinji hit the "14" button.

"Hey, I thought you guys were on the twelfth floor?" Kaji asked as the elevator began to ascend.

"We were, but Misato moved us up to the penthouse because we needed the space." Shinji replied as the elevator moved up.

"Well, that's a surprise." Kaji said. "It must be nice in that big old apartment."

"Yeah, we have lots of room." Shinji replied as the elevator stopped. "We have almost too much though at times."

"Too much room?" Kaji asked. "You can never have too much room, Shinji. Only wasted space."

"Wasted space?" Shinji asked.

"You can have lots of room, you just need to use it all effectively." Kaji said as they left the elevator. "But enough about design aesthetic now… we have some other stuff to focus on."

"I know, Kaji." Shinji said. "You're the one talking about wasted space."

"Fine, so I'm a little nervous." Kaji said as they approached the door. "I haven't seen Misato or Asuka in over three years… I don't know what they're going to say."

"I'm guessing they're going to be angry." Shinji said as he unlocked the door. "So wait till here till I say to come in."

"I heard ya the first time." Kaji said as Shinji stepped inside.

Shinji walked nervously inside, with Kaji following slightly behind, staying in the shadows. As Shinji got the kitchen, he surprised the four girls who were frantically getting ready to leave, with Asuka's back turned to Shinji.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Misato muttered.

"See, he's ok." Mari said. "I told you not to get worried princess."

"What are you going on about?" Asuka asked.

"Onii–chan is back." Rei said.

"Shinji!" Asuka cried as she turned around. "You're in so much fucking trouble!"

"Why?" Shinji asked nervously. "I just went out for a drive to meet someone…"

"You left without telling us anything!" Asuka said angrily. "You had us worried sick about where you were! Your phone was off… I thought you got kidnapped!"

"Way to overreact, princess…" Mari quipped.

"Shove it, four eyes!" Asuka snapped. "Now answer the question, baka!"

Shinji pulled out his phone and looked at it. "Well… I didn't want to be disturbed." Shinji replied. "I can't answer the phone while I was driving."

"Yes you can!" Asuka retorted. "What the hell were you doing out so early in the morning without telling us where you went?! And what friend would you be meeting before sunrise!?"

"I… I had to go do something important." Shinji said.

"Like what exactly?" Misato asked.

"And why are you armed, onii–chan?" Rei added.

"WHAT?!" Asuka and Misato shouted in unison.

"He has his gun on his belt." Rei said, pointing to Shinji's waistband. "It's quite obvious."

"Son of a bitch, she's right." Mari quipped. "Shinji, what was so important you snuck out of the apartment, armed and dangerous for?"

"I needed to help a friend out." Shinji replied. "He was in danger."

"Friend? What friend?" Asuka asked. "Who could be so important that you leave us here without any idea where you were!?"

"I… uh… well…" Shinji stammered.

"I got it from here, Shinji." Kaji said as he walked out of the darkened hallway. "He was coming to get me… I uh… needed to speak with you, Misato."

"K… Kaji…?" Misato stammered.

"No… you're… dead…" Asuka mumbled, completely dumbstruck at seeing the scraggier looking Kaji. "I'm… I'm seeing things!"

"No, you're not, Asuka." Kaji said. "I'm very much alive."

"Fuck this." Misato muttered. "This isn't real…"

"Misato…" Rei said quietly. "It does look like Mr. Kaji."

"It's a joke, Rei…" Misato said to Rei uncertainly. "Shinji what is this?" Misato asked. "You found someone that looks like Kaji as a joke? It's not a very funny joke…"

"No… it's not a joke Misato…" Shinji replied uneasily. "This is really him."

"Bullshit." Misato said. "He's dead… he's been gone for over three years…"

"I don't know, miso… it kinda looks like him." Mari said. "Sounds like him too…"

"Onii–chan… why is he here?" Rei asked.

"He needed my help, so I went to get him." Shinji replied.

"If… if this is really Kaji, how… how in the hell did he contact you?" Misato asked. "He supposed to be dead!"

"That's the wrong question to ask, Misato…" Asuka said coldly as she walked up to Shinji. "How long have you known he's alive, Shinji?" Asuka grabbed him by the shirt and started shaking him violently. "HOW LONG HAVE YOU FUCKING KNOWN, BAKA!"

"Asuka, stop it!" Kaji shouted as he pushed Asuka off of Shinji, knocking Asuka to the floor. "Don't get mad at him, get mad at me!"

"HOW LONG HAS HE KNOWN, KAJI?!" Asuka screamed. "HOW LONG HAS HE KNOWN YOU WERE ALIVE?!"

"A little less than three years." Kaji said.

"How is that even possible?" Misato asked. "You were shot by Yamada! Fuyutsuki admitted as much during his trial!"

"He winged me, but he didn't kill me, obviously." Kaji said calmly. "And Shinji knows because I approached him while you were all visiting Tokyo–2. He was away from NERV security, and out of earshot of you girls."

"Why did you meet up with him in the first place?" Misato asked angrily. "Why did he get to know and not me?!"

"He knows because he can keep a secret better than you or Asuka!" Kaji replied.

"How dare you…" Misato mumbled. "I know how to keep a secret just fine, and so does Asuka."

"Not this kind of secret." Kaji said sternly. "Not the kind of secret involving someone you love deeply, when they're gone, a bit of you is lost with them, but if they're alive… its subtle, but noticeable that they still breathe. I bet since I've died, you've cried about me more than once, something from your day reminded you about me… or maybe you still have that message I left you saved somewhere to listen to… hoping that I was somewhere out there, not entirely gone…" Kaji sighed. "And I'm sure even mentioning my name puts Asuka in a bad mood."

"That's not true." Misato said defiantly.

"Yes it is, Misato." Rei replied. "I have heard the message before, and it always makes you cry for hours and hours…"

"Princess does get upset if we let your name slip too…" Mari added.

"So what?!" Asuka asked. "I could have faked it!"

"No, you can't fake a natural reaction like loss." Kaji said. "You can imitate it, but there are people in the world that exist who can pick up on the difference between the real thing and the acting."

"So why Shinji?!" Misato asked tearfully. "Why choose him out of anybody?!"

"Yeah, why choose him?!" Asuka asked.

"Because, he knew me as a friend, but… he wasn't in love with me." Kaji said. "My name wouldn't send him into a total emotional tailspin, unlike the two of you."

"So what did you tell onii–chan?" Rei asked.

"Well, that I was alive, and that I was proud of you guys for stopping Third Impact." Kaji said. "And I told him that this would be the last time we'd ever speak, unless something happened."

"So, why come back now?" Misato asked. "I was finally coming to terms with you being dead, you son of a bitch! And now you come strutting back into my life, ripping down everything that I'd done to get over you!"

"Because the Evangelions are awake." Kaji said succinctly.

"How do you even know that?!" Misato asked angrily. "That hasn't been released to anyone!"

"Well, it's all over the intelligence grid." Kaji said. "Massive seismic readings coming from Nevada, Tokyo–3, with secondary shocks coming from the construction sites for Unit–05, Unit–06 and Unit–07."

"How is it possible you know that?" Misato asked. "All that information is Top Secret."

"I'm a spy, Misato." Kaji replied. "It's what I do. Finding information out no one is supposed to know… It's my specialty if I ever had one."

"So what, you find out the EVAs are awake, and you come running?" Misato asked. "You don't have a care in the world about us, you only care about the fucking Evangelions."

"My coming back may be about the Evangelions, but the only reason I was gone was so I could protect you all!" Kaji replied angrily.

"Yeah, sure." Misato retorted. "You were glad to be gone."

"No I wasn't!" Kaji shouted. "I hated being away from you guys, not knowing if you were safe or not!" Kaji slammed his fist on the table. "But you were better off with me dead!" Kaji said emphatically. "You were in danger from SEELE and the government because of what I knew, if I wasn't dead, you'd have all been targeted! They would have hurt you to get to me, and I couldn't let that happen, NOT AGAIN!" Kaji shouted angrily. "Not after what happened to Taichi, I didn't want to be responsible for the deaths of anyone else that I loved! I refuse to see anyone else get hurt BECAUSE OF ME!"

"So what you stayed away! Big fucking deal!" Misato shouted back. "You could have found some way to tell me! You're no different than my father running off to go deal with his work!"

"I had to go off to deal with my work, because I needed to be dead to do what needed to be done!" Kaji shouted back.

"What are you talking about?" Shinji asked.

"SEELE." Kaji said. "SEELE had to be taken care of."

"Taken care of how?" Mari asked.

"Eliminated." Kaji said.

"You… you did that?" Misato asked. "You're the one that's been taking them out?"

"Yeah, that's been my only job besides keeping tabs on you guys." Kaji said. "Being dead gave me an element of surprise that you just can't make up with a cover story. I was able to get close enough and execute eleven of them."

"You took out eleven of them?" Rei asked.

"Yeah… had to do it carefully and quietly so they couldn't tell the others." Kaji said. "Up close and personal, two shots to the head, three to the heart… and just to be safe, I silt their throats…"

"You did all that?" Misato asked.

"I had to." Kaji said. "They were consolidating power, planning to overthrow the U.N., there wasn't any other choice."

"But there are twelve." Misato said. "SEELE had twelve members."

"One's gone completely off the grid." Kaji said. "Six continents and nothing… almost like he's disappeared."

"Which one got away?" Misato asked. "I mean, there've been rumors about former SEELE members getting their due… but it's all unconfirmed."

"Keel Lorenz… the leader." Kaji replied. "Slippery son of a bitch, always one step ahead of me… once he figured out his comrades were dead, he vanished entirely."

"So you failed." Misato said. "You missed the important one."

"I didn't fail, Misato." Kaji replied. "His entire support network is gone and he's isolated somewhere, deep in hiding, avoiding the bullet I have waiting for the bastard."

"So what, he can still work on his little plan." Misato mumbled.

"Doubt it." Kaji replied. "The man doesn't do things himself, he gets other people to do his dirty work for him."

"So, that's all you came to tell us?" Misato asked.

"No, not just that." Kaji said. "Besides SEELE's rumblings, there's talk of other factions coming after NERV… nothing specific, just vague references to finishing what the JSSDF started. And a few rumblings of a splinter group in the U.N. who want to use the Evangelions to conquer the planet."

"Fuck…" Misato said. "How did you come by all this?"

"Contacts in the underworld." Kaji said. "The same contacts who've been keeping an eye on all of you."

"So… you force Shinji to keep your dirty secret, you spy on us, and you come and tell us all this shit… for what?" Misato asked. "What is it going to change?"

"It's so you know Misato." Kaji replied tersely. "Knowledge is power."

"So what." Misato said. "Now that we know you can go back into hiding."

"I can't exactly do that now, Misato." Kaji said. "By now, someone would have seen me come in here… they'll know that I'm alive and in contact with you."

"So you risked our lives for this shitty information?!" Misato asked. "What was the fucking point?!"

"The danger to you not knowing and being caught unawares would be far greater than coming out of hiding." Kaji said. "And if I didn't tell you and you got hurt, I couldn't forgive myself."

"But you're so good at keeping secrets, Kaji." Misato said snidely. "It would have been easy for you."

"You're one to talk about making Shinji keep secrets." Kaji said angrily. "Considering you've had Shinji lying about doing EVA training under Asuka's nose."

"How the fuck do you know that?!" Misato asked angrily.

"I said I was keeping tabs on you guys." Kaji said. "It's really unfair of you to put Shinji in that position, considering that you've been having him train in secret."

"YOU'VE BEEN DOING WHAT?!" Asuka shouted. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!"

"I…" Shinji muttered. "Sorry… I…"

"What the fuck, Kaji." Misato said. "We were keeping that a secret for a reason."

"I thought you didn't like keeping secrets." Kaji retorted. "Or are you only pissed at me?"

"Shut up!" Misato said. "You lost the right to talk to me like that the minute you decided to go into hiding like a fucking coward!"

"I'm the coward?" Kaji asked. "You made Shinji train when he should have had a break the last three years like he was supposed to!"

"We needed someone, and he was the best choice, with the best score!" Misato shouted back. "He was the only choice!"

"What about Asuka?!" Kaji shouted. "If I recall all the news footage I saw, Asuka did pretty well against those white monstrosities on her own, she should have been given the option! She's a fucking great pilot!"

"I couldn't risk her letting the secret out!" Misato said. "Shinji can… fuck…"

"Keep a secret?" Kaji asked sarcastically.

"Fuck off." Asuka said as she grabbed her keys off the counter. "You didn't trust me to keep a secret!"

"Asuka, I just thought…" Misato began.

"Well, that's the fucking problem, you were thinking." Asuka said coldly. "And you." Asuka shoved Shinji out of the way. "How could you not tell me he was alive… you heard me cry… and you didn't say a fucking thing to me…"

"Asuka, Kaji made me promise…" Shinji said. "I'm sorry…"

"Save it." Asuka said as she stormed out. "If anyone cares, I'm going for a fucking drive. You know, in case anyone thinks I'm in trouble or anything, my phone's just off so I'm not _disturbed_ by anything…"

"Asuka, wait!" Shinji called out.

"Onii–chan, let her go." Rei said. "She needs time."

"Yeah, we all do." Misato said. "So get lost, Kaji."

"To where?" Kaji asked.

"Anywhere but here." Misato replied.

"Misato, you can't just throw him out." Shinji said. "He doesn't have anywhere to go."

"Yes I can, this is my apartment building." Misato replied angrily. "And you know what, you need to leave too, Shinji. I can't even look at you right now."

"Miso!" Mari said angrily. "You can't throw Shinji out, he didn't do anything different than keeping your secret from princess."

"Yes I can!" Misato shouted. "Now get out of my sight!"

"Misato can I…" Shinji began.

"GO!" Misato shouted.

"Ok…" Shinji muttered as he turned to leave.

"Hold on Shinji, I'm right behind you." Mari said.

"You can't go with them." Misato said.

"No, I'm just making sure they're somewhere safe. Someone has to care about their well–being." Mari said. "Come on scruffy, come with us."

"To where?" Kaji asked as he followed Mari down two flights of stairs to the door of their old apartment.

"Here." Mari said. "It's still furnished… and I'll get you guys whatever you need."

"Are you sure?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah, miso's just overreacting." Mari said. "Maya said that new U.N. lady is pissing her off to no end…"

"Still, I didn't exactly help." Kaji said.

"Oh, who cares?" Mari said. "I'm glad you're alive, though. Maybe you can loosen miso up a bit. She kinda needs it…"

"Really, Mari?" Shinji asked. "Is that appropriate?"

"Hush, puppy." Mari quipped.

"I don't think I'll be doing anything like that again." Kaji replied.

"Don't be so sure." Mari says. "She cries about you a lot more than she lets on. She's probably really happy you're back, but she's too stubborn to admit it, same with the princess, she's mad she was kept out of the loop… but I saw it in her eyes, she's really glad you're alive."

"I didn't quite see that." Kaji said.

"Cause you and miso were too busy having a lover's quarrel." Mari quipped. "So get comfy, and I'll try and calm her down, ok?"

"Good luck with that…" Shinji muttered.

"Wow, some things just don't change." Kaji muttered. "Misato and Asuka both still have those damn tempers…"

"And I'm sure Rei will make Asuka see sense when she comes back." Mari added. "And she'll get lonely soon enough and want you back."

"What does she mean by that?" Kaji asked.

"Asuka doesn't like sleeping alone anymore." Shinji said. "She gets lonely."

"Huh, you two really are in love…" Kaji said. "I'm glad some things have changed around here in the last few years." Kaji smiled. "I was worried you guys wouldn't grow up at all."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 150.0% (New)  
Asuka – Pending  
Mari – Pending  
Rei – Pending

So, Unit–04 is intact and usable and Kaji is alive. How's that for a chapter? So first, the short bit about Unit–04. It's time in the Sea of Dirac was a defense mechanism to allow itself time to heal. However, the people exposed to it were horrifically killed by the effects of the pocket dimension. Shinji was unaffected in his time in a Sea of Dirac because he had the protection of Unit–01 at the time, which the poor workers of NERV's Second Branch did not have.

As to the "highly charged" typhoons in the Pacific, an effect of the weather changes due to Second Impact, major storms such as hurricanes (or typhoons depending on where you live) now create an abundance of static electricity, which can cause all kinds of interference for communication. And Misato's rebuttal of undersea cables being inherently more secure by referencing "Operation Ivy Bells" which was a joint United States Navy, CIA, and National Security Agency mission with the objective to place wire taps on Soviet underwater communication lines during the Cold War, which was able to intercept Soviet communications as intended.

Now, onto Kaji, yes, I didn't kill him, and for good reason. Kaji was a spy playing a deadly game with three masters. Working for the government, SEELE, and NERV had him in a tight position where one wrong move could kill him. However, being thought of as dead, as he said, gave him a certain skill of being invisible that merely hiding won't do. The element of surprise. So, with that, Kaji killed eleven of the hiding members of SEELE, leaving only one he could not find, who after hearing many of his former comrades had died mysteriously, went into deeper hiding. Also, I needed a fun surprise for the beginning of this story, and Kaji not being dead also fit the bill. But in the long run, Kaji's intelligence will have some effect on the story, but with the forewarning, Misato will undoubtedly be prepared, even if she is too stubborn to admit Kaji helped her.

So, as I describe in the chapter, the kids have grown some since they were originally pilots three years before. At the beginning of Episode IV, their heights were the presumed heights we've all garnered from promotional materials and supposition. By the time of Third Impact, the kids had all grown a bit, but after three years and reaching some level of maturity, the kids are close to their full heights. The list below shows their heights from the beginning of Episode IV, the End of Episode VI, and their current height as of Episode VII.  
Shinji – 157cm/162cm/171cm  
Asuka – 157cm/163cm/169cm  
Rei – 154cm/162cm/168cm  
Mari – 165cm/169cm/173cm

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	4. Chapter 4 – Pattern Blue?

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 4 – Pattern Blue?  
March 27, 2020 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Shinji woke up after an uneasy sleep. For a moment when he awoke, he felt 14 again, all alone, staring towards the ceiling of his room after Asuka had taken his room from him when she moved in. As he looked up at his old ceiling for the first time in three years for the fourth morning in a row, he felt truly alone. He rolled slowly out of bed and looked around, missing his new life upstairs, even if it had just been an illusion while the Evangelions slept, he still wanted to have his normal life back.

"Just another day…" Shinji muttered to himself as he got dressed. "Asuka will talk to me soon… right?"

Shinji sullenly walked out of his old room to see Kaji sitting lazily on the couch. He was flipping through the TV channels to find something good on, he heard Shinji come in and turned around to face him.

"Morning, Shinji." Kaji said. "You sleep alright?"

"No…" Shinji muttered. "I didn't really sleep at all."

"Are you ok though?" Kaji asked.

"Not really." Shinji said quietly. "I miss Asuka."

"So you're not worried?" Kaji asked.

"Well, I'm worried Asuka and Misato will never speak to me again." Shinji said. "They were just so upset…"

"Well, Asuka was more upset." Kaji said. "Apparently being thought of as unable to keep a secret got to her."

"She can keep a secret." Shinji said. "And I wanted to tell her…"

"But you heeded my waring about putting everyone in danger." Kaji said.

"Only because I knew you were right." Shinji said. "After everything Fuyutsuki explained, it just made sense that if anyone else knew, we'd all be in danger. Even if it did suck to not tell them, I'd rather them be… well… alive."

"Have I ever told you you're a good kid?" Kaji asked.

"Once or twice." Shinji replied. "Not that it matters…"

"It matters." Kaji said. "Whether Asuka or Misato are mad at you just means they care an awful lot. You don't push people away like this unless you really care about them. They'll get over it in time, you just have to have patience."

"They might for me, but what about you?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, I was comfortable with the fact that I may never get to talk to you guys again, I'll be fine." Kaji said confidently.

"I don't believe you." Shinji said. "You love Misato and Asuka."

"And Mari, Rei, and you." Kaji said. "Would I like to get back together with Misato? Sure, I love her, that's never going to change. Is it going to happen? Probably not, I've fucked up too much, she's not going to want anything to do with me. Id completely understand if she didn't love me anymore."

"Kaji, if me and Asuka can get past everything that's happened between us, you and Misato can too… even if it takes years, I know she still loves you."

"How do you know?" Kaji asked.

"She all but said it the other day." Shinji said. "She was moving on, but that means she couldn't let go, right?"

"Huh… she still loves me…" Kaji said. "When did you get so knowledgeable about women?"

"The last three years." Shinji said. "I've gotten a lot of experience dating Asuka."

"I bet it's not just words of wisdom either…" Kaji joked.

Shinji blushed. "Kaji, don't talk like that!"

"Still a bit shy about that topic, eh, Shinji?" Kaji asked.

"Maybe." Shinji replied.

"Well, that'll pass in time too." Kaji said.

"It's not that…" Shinji said. "I's just weird to talk about Asuka like that with you… or anyone for that matter."

"See, you're a good person, Shinji." Kaji said. "Make sure that never changes."

"I'll do my best." Shinji replied as the doorbell rang.

 ** _DING DONG_**

Kaji pulled a gun out from behind the couch cushion he was leaning against. "Shinji, where's yours?" Kaji whispered.

"My room." Shinji replied quietly.

"Get it and meet me by the front door." Kaji whispered in reply.

Shinji nodded and ran quietly to grab his gun. Once he got it, he saw Kaji standing at the end of the hallway, his gun aiming straight for the door.

"Go open it." Kaji said. "I'll cover you."

"Right." Shinji replied as he crept to the door, gun at his side, and opened the door, to reveal Mari.

"Is the gun really necessary puppy?" Mari asked.

"Yes, it is." Kaji replied as Shinji closed the door behind her.

"You too, scruffy?" Mari asked. "I didn't think I was walking into a shooting gallery…"

"Still can't be too careful." Kaji said. "I have killed a quite a few important people these past three years."

"Yeah, but they don't know where you are… right?" Mari asked.

"Think of it this way, Mari." Kaji said. "I had people watching you guys, they could have their own people doing the same thing. They would have seen me come up with Shinji, if they didn't see us meeting in the middle of the city at dawn."

"Fuck…" Mari muttered.

"Yeah, so me having a gun is so I can be prepared." Kaji said.

"I think you're being a bit paranoid." Shinji said.

"Shinji, I did a lot of things in my old job, nothing is out of the realm of possibility if you have enough ingenuity." Kaji said. "If they want to, they'll strike."

"Scruffy, can you stop?" Mari asked. "You're worrying me."

"Sorry, just trying to be realistic." Kaji said.

"It's fine… I just never knew we were being watched." Mari said quietly.

"Well, a good spy knows how to stay hidden." Kaji said.

"Did you ever come and… monitor us?" Shinji asked.

"No, way too dangerous to be seen in the city again." Kaji said. "Especially before when SEELE was still at full strength."

"Oh, I thought you might have… ya know…" Shinji muttered.

"I was tempted to, Shinji." Kaji said. "But it was safer for someone else to do the leg work on that and report back. But enough about the old days…" Kaji smiled. "So what brings you down here this morning, Miss Makinami?"

"What, are you making fun of my age again, scruffy?" Mari asked. "Cause it's getting old since you started with that shit the other day…"

"Well, you are technically older than me." Kaji joked. "So I'm gonna rib ya for it."

"How did you find that out anyway?" Mari asked. "Puppy, did you…?"

"Nope." Kaji said before Shinji could respond. "I found out through some very deep research… then I uh… made sure the evidence was lost permanently."

"Why?" Mari asked.

"After the life you had, you deserved some piece from it." Kaji said. "A fresh start."

"So… no one will ever find out?" Mari asked.

"Only if someone tells them." Kaji said.

"Wow… I thought Fuyutsuki buried everything." Mari replied.

"He did." Kaji said. "But these were old files about your research… which would lead to our time with Project Alcion, which would lead to the stories that a girl appeared out of Unit–XP's Core. Connect enough dots and it all leads to you."

"You are really good at your job if you were able to do that." Mari said.

"Ikari wanted you to be safe." Kaji said. "Something about honoring Yui…"

"Weird…" Mari said. "I didn't think he cared enough…"

"Well, he was an asshole, but he had his moments…" Kaji muttered.

"That's truly shocking." Shinji muttered. "That he could even think beyond himself…"

"Anyway…" Mari interjected. "We have sync tests today, that's why I came down."

"Ok, I'll meet you there." Shinji said.

"No puppy, I need a ride." Mari said. "Asuka and Rei took off in Asuka's car."

"They left you here?" Shinji asked.

"I uh… got into an argument with her and Misato this morning…" Mari said.

"About us." Kaji said.

"No, just about Shinji." Mari said. "I don't have a death wish."

"So what, they got pissed?" Kaji asked.

"Well… yeah, they didn't want to hear that Shinji was just trying to protect us." Mari said. "I mean, Rei gets it, but she stays out of it."

"So what happened?" Shinji asked.

"Misato left in a huff telling me to be careful or I'd be joining you down here, and Asuka took Rei and left without saying anything." Mari explained. "So uh… can you drive me?" Mari held up two sets of keys. "Whichever car you want…"

"We'll take the Ferrari." Shinji said as he took both sets of keys. "Kaji, if you need to run, take the Ford Kuga downstairs. It's blue."

"Ok." Kaji said. "But I don't intend to run if they come for me."

"What, you're going to make a stand?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, I have plenty of ammo." Kaji said. "I won't go down without a fight. Just take your gun with you, ok?"

"I will, Kaji." Shinji replied.

"Good." Kaji said. "Now get going you two, you don't want Misato and Asuka to hate you more for being late."  
––

Asuka and Rei were on their way to NERV with Asuka's bright red Nissan Skyline GT–R streaking down the road. However, it wasn't Asuka who was driving, but Rei.

"Ok, Rei, slow down a bit." Asuka said calmly. "You actually have to drive the speed limit for the test."

"I am aware of that, Asuka." Rei replied calmly. "I just want to get there on time."

"Don't worry about that, I don't care if we're an hour late to this shit." Asuka said. "I don't really want to go, so you can slow down if you want to."

"It would be unfair to Maya if we were late to the test she set up for us." Rei replied. "But I wish you hadn't left Mari behind to get onii–chan all on her own."

"I don't want to talk about him Rei." Asuka grumbled. "Just leave it alone."

"Asuka, you're being unreasonable." Rei said as she pulled around a car going slower than her. "As much as I don't like to say this… Mari's right. He didn't say anything about Kaji because he wanted to keep us all safe."

"I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS!" Asuka shouted.

"Fine, but you must be getting lonely, sleeping all by yourself without onii–chan next to you." Rei said snidely.

"Shut up." Asuka said angrily. "Just make sure to keep him away from me, got it?"

"Fine." Rei said. "He'll probably be more agreeable to talk to anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"Asuka, the last four days, you've been miserable." Rei said. "You've been angry and short tempered, but you won't talk about anything while onii–chan is all alone."

"He's not alone, he's got that ghost with him." Asuka said sarcastically.

"Mister Kaji isn't a ghost, Asuka." Rei said. "He's very much alive."

"I don't care about that jerk." Asuka grumbled.

"It certainly sounds like you do." Rei said.

"What did I say about leaving this alone?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"Fine, I'll stop bringing it up if you admit you miss onii–chan." Rei said bluntly.

"The bed feels empty without him, ok?" Asuka grumbled. "But I still hate him so much right now."

"Well, that's a step in the right direction…" Rei mumbled as she pulled towards the surface entrance to the Geofront.  
–––

Shinji stood awkwardly next to Mari at the far end away from Asuka. He, along with the others were in front of Maya, in their plugsuits, waiting for the test to begin. Maya, having been told Asuka knew of Shinji's continued training, didn't hold up the pretense she had been the past few weeks. However, the constant reminder of Shinji lying to her caused Asuka to visibly seethe while Maya was explaining their updated procedures.

"Ok, so Shinji already knows about all this stuff, but I have to go over it anyway out of safety." Maya explained. "Sync tests aren't as excruciating as they used to be, I really boiled down the times so we're not wasting all your free time like before." Maya smiled. "So, it'll be an hour during the week, twice a week, whenever we can fit it in your schedules, followed by an hour of combat simulations. As for the weekends, that's two hours, every Sunday, no exceptions, with two more hours of combat simulations following the sync test."

"That still seems like too much." Asuka complained.

"It's really not, Asuka." Maya replied. "Before you were clocking in ten to fifteen hours a week with sync tests, and at least ten hours a week with combat training."

"Still, we know what to do, Maya." Asuka said.

"Yes, but we still need to monitor your progress to make sure everyone's fully able to pilot." Maya replied.

"Are you implying that some of us are incapable of piloting?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"No, we just need to make sure your brain isn't going to be adversely effected by syncing with your Evangelions." Maya explained.

"Fair enough…" Asuka muttered.

"Why aren't the tests as long as before?" Rei asked.

"Because we didn't need you in there for that long." Maya said. "All we need for data can be averaged over an hour." Maya sighed. "But for today, we need a new baseline for everyone, and seeing as things should be fair, Shinji, you're included in this too, you're here for four hours, but with no combat simulations. So once the sync test's over and you've been debriefed, you can go home."

"Good." Asuka declared as she stormed off. "I can't stand the company here anyway."

"Alrighty…" Maya said. "I guess we can start when you're ready."

As Shinji walked towards his Test Plug, Rei walked up behind him and gave him a hug.

"I'm glad you're ok, onii–chan." Rei said. "I've missed having you around."

"Thanks Rei." Shinji said. "You could come and say hi if you wanted to though."

"Perhaps tomorrow." Rei said as they got to their Test Plugs.

"That'd be nice." Shinji said as he got in the Test plug again and settled in.  
–––

Three hours seemingly went by fast. For Mari, being in the LCL that long was like heaven. Shinji simply relaxed, enjoying the peace and quiet around him. Rei was slightly anxious, not being a big fan of LCL considering she was suspended in it more often than not in a past life. Asuka on the other hand, even with the calming warmth the LCL used to give her, she was still livid at having to be anywhere near Shinji, and angry that she was stuck having anything to do with the Evangelions.

"This fucking sucks…" Asuka muttered angrily. "Stuck in here with no one to talk to… and anyone I want to talk to just wants to talk about baka fucking Shinji and his baka lying face!" Asuka punched the LCL erratically. "Why can't things just go back to fucking normal around here?!"

" _Alright, everyone._ " Maya announced. " _Test's over, we're going to drain the LCL now._ "

"About fucking time!" Asuka snapped as the LCL slowly drained out of her Test Plug, and the hatch above her opened. Asuka clambered up and out, only to see Shinji coming out of his own Test Plug as she emerged from hers.

'Fucking jerk…' Asuka thought as she glared at him, causing him to slink away from her and sulk quietly. 'That's right baka, run away…'

As Mari and Rei came out of their Test Plugs, they stood between Asuka and Shinji as they lined up for a quick debriefing. Shinji however, while separated from Asuka, still had to contend with Misato's stony glare when she arrived to hear the results for herself. Mari glared back at Misato for Shinji, while Shinji just tried not to draw attention to himself.

"So, everyone did pretty well." Maya said. "Considering the amount of time that's gone by, your scores seems normal… you're generally out of practice, with the exception of Shinji."

"Yes, the big hero…" Asuka muttered.

"Just get on with it, Maya." Misato said coldly as she continued to glare at Shinji.

"O… ok…" Maya stammered. "Mari, your score was the lowest at 9.5%, which is not horrible, I'm sure it'll start to pick up as we go along. Rei, you're in a similar boat, at 12.0%, which again, isn't awful considering you've been out of practice longer than either Asuka or Mari. But Mari and Rei, you have some work to do before you even get to pilot again, you're both below the activation threshold." Maya paused. "Asuka on the other hand, nice job… 112% was really impressive! It fluctuated a lot while you were in there, which is concerning, but you were able to hold that sync state for just over an hour."

"Huh…?" Asuka asked. "How could it be that high?"

"I'm not sure, but the numbers aren't wrong." Maya replied. So, with a bit more practice in concentration and focus, you should stabilize your sync rate without a problem.

"How much did it fluctuate?" Misato asked.

"Well… low of 53.7%, with a spike at 129.0% for three seconds…" Maya read off. "Still, that range, she does need to work on concentration."

"Fine, I think I can handle that." Asuka said.

"Finally, Shinji, good job." Maya said proudly. "A steady 150.0%, with no fluctuation outside the standard .001% range. You did a lot better than the last time you were here. Maybe you could share some tips with Asuka…"

"I don't need his help!" Asuka shouted angrily. "My score is over 100 just like his! Besides, baka will probably just end up lying to me again, won't you baka?!"

"Hey, don't talk to him like that." Mari said defensively. "It's not very nice!"

"Screw being nice!" Asuka shouted. "So, Maya, are we done here?"

"Y… yes." Maya stammered. "Uh, I'll see you all on Sunday for your next sync test and your first combat simulation."

Asuka stormed off as soon as Maya finished talking, which got her a puzzled look from Maya. Rei followed right behind her, trying to keep up with Asuka's fast, angry pace.

"Thank you for the briefing, Maya." Misato said. "Send me a copy of the final report when it's done."

"Yes, Colonel…" Maya replied as Misato left as well.

"What the hell was that about?" Maya asked.

"It's complicated…" Mari said. "Nothing that won't be fixed in a few days though. I'll see to that."

"Yeah, but why is Misato mad at Shinji?" Maya asked. "She loves him."

"Same reason, its complicated." Mari replied. "But don't worry puppy, I'll make them see sense, even if I have to beat it into them."

"I hope so…" Shinji said as he sulked away towards the locker room. "I'll wait for you in the car whenever you're ready."

"Wow, I haven't seen him so down in a long time…" Maya commented.

"Well, the fight brought back some memories of the past." Mari replied. "I just hope they get back to the present before the shit hits the fan."

–––

As Rei got to the women's locker room, Asuka was having a fit. As she roughly stripped off her plugsuit, she tripped in the gathered up material around her feet and slammed her head into the lockers. As she stood up, she angrily punched the locker she had made contact with, which made the door open up. Asuka slammed the door shut only for it to keep opening back up every time she slammed it. By the fifth time, she got so frustrated Asuka slammed the locker door so hard two of its three hinges broke.

"Asuka, are you alright?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, wundergirl, I'm doing just great!" Asuka snapped. "Were you able to observe how ficken great everything is?!"

"I do not know what you are talking about…" Rei said quietly as Mari walked in.

"Oh great, here's the other one!" Asuka said angrily.

"Still upset I see…" Mari quipped. "If you're not careful princess you're going to have a stroke."

"Who gives a shit!" Asuka shouted as she kicked her plugsuit off and shoved it roughly into her locker. "It's not like anyone would really care, would they?!"

"Well, I care Asuka." Rei said quietly.

"So do I princess." Mari said. "And Shinji would be really upset if you…"

"STOP SAYING HIS FICKING NAME!" Asuka screamed. "STOP BRINGING UP THAT STUPID LYING SON OF A WHORE!"

"Hey!" Mari and Rei exclaimed in unison.

"What?!" Asuka asked angrily.

"Don't talk about my mom like that." Rei said sternly.

"Yui was anything but a whore!" Mari replied angrily. "Don't bring her into this just cause you're being irrational about Shinji and some huge bug up your ass!"

"I'm not being irrational!" Asuka shouted as she started getting dressed. "I'm fucking pissed he didn't tell me about Kaji, and I'm pissed he didn't tell me about coming here to train!"

"So what?" Mari asked. "You're letting something that he didn't really have a choice about get between you again!"

"He had a choice!" Asuka shouted. "He could have still told me!"

"Didn't you hear Kaji the other night?!" Mari asked incredulously. "If he told you, he could have put us all in danger! Do you really think he'd do that?!"

"That's not the point!" Asuka shouted.

"Yes it is!" Mari shouted. "Do you think Misato gave him a choice about keeping his training a secret from you?! He knew you'd be upset, and Misato knew you'd be upset! His training was a secret because it was forbidden by the U.N.!"

"How the fuck do you know that?!" Asuka shouted.

"Because Shinji needed someone to cover for him that knows how to lie!" Mari shouted back. "And that happened to be me!"

"Why didn't he tell me though?!" Asuka asked.

"Because he was told not to!" Mari shouted. "Are you not understating that?! I'm I not making myself perfectly clear! Shinji couldn't tell you, he wanted to, but HE COULDN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING!"

"That's ficken bullshit!" Asuka screamed.

"No it's not, Asuka! It's not bullshit at all!" Rei shot back. "Onii–chan would never risk our lives, even if it meant lying to us about something! H tries so hard to protect us, almost to a fault! He'd especially never want to see you hurt! You call him baka all the time, but it's you who's baka!"

"You too now?!" Asuka asked.

"Yes, Asuka, me too!" Rei replied. "I'm tired of you being upset at onii–chan, I want him to come home!"

"Well I don't!" Asuka shouted. "Not until the arschloch apologizes!"

"Bullshit." Mari said. "You must be going crazy be now without him sleeping next to you. The last time you guys had a fight, you didn't even last the night without him."

"Asuka, you're being irrational." Rei said bluntly. "You need to let this go."

"I'm not being irrational! Everyone around here seems to think I can't keep a ficken secret! I can keep a ficken secret just fine!" Asuka shouted angrily as she turned to Rei. "Rei, Mari still loves you and she's upset that you won't talk to her. Misato wishes you'd dye your hair a different color, because the blue sometimes freaks her out when she's drunk and hungover!" Then Asuka turned to Mari. "Rei doesn't love you anymore, but she won't explain why… and she always gets so cagey when I bring it up. But she does avoid you on purpose, so you're not crazy. And Shinji thinks it's weird you've kissed him mom and made out with him and his sister, which is really kinda fucked up isn't it? And Misato's jealous of your tits because they're still so perky." Asuka slammed her fist into her locker. "And have I ever told anyone about how when I blow Shinji, he likes it if I stick a finger or two up his ass?! Or how he doesn't mind kissing me after he blows a load in my mouth?! No, because I know how to keep a fucking secret and not embarrass anyone I know!"

"Doesn't that sort of prove otherwise…?" Mari asked.

"No, because I kept my ficken mouth shut until now!" Asuka shouted. "And seeing as no one thinks I can keep a secret, I guess I don't need to keep them anymore!"

"Asuka, you are being irrational." Rei repeated. "You're getting hung up on the details that don't matter."

"No I'm not!" Asuka shouted. "Everyone lied to me because they think I can't keep my mouth shut! _Shinji_ lied to me, my supposedly loving and caring boyfriend! Or did I miss some other subtle bullshit you two geniuses want to point out?!"

"Asuka, you're letting something irrational get between you and Shinji again!" Mari shouted. "Do you remember Kaworu?! Well, do you?!"

"Of course I remember that dead fuck!" Asuka shouted back. "Shinji took his side, and I broke up with his stupid ass!"

"And you were acting irrational there too!" Mari shouted. "We all were! We separated ourselves from Shinji and let that fucking Angel trap Shinji. But unlike the rest of us, you didn't learn a fucking thing! You're getting pissed at Shinji because he lied to you?! Get over it! You lie to him all the time about stupid stuff, and he knows, but do you see him storming off and not talking to anyone? No, he lets it go because it doesn't matter! So what he lied about those two things! He didn't have a choice, even if you think he did, he didn't! Blame Misato and Kaji for having him lie on their behalf, but don't get mad at that sweet boy you love cause you're blowing something out of fucking proportion!"

"I'm not… it's… this is nothing like with Kaworu…" Asuka muttered.

"Keep telling yourself that, Asuka." Rei said. "Because it's exactly like that."

"No it's not!" Asuka replied emphatically. "I'm not overacting!"

"You keep saying that, yet in your rage you destroyed a perfectly good locker." Rei retorted. "Perhaps if you went to talk to the both of them, perhaps you could come to terms with everything…"

"And remove your head from your ass." Mari added.

"I don't want to talk to him, and my head is not up my ass!" Asuka shouted.

"Well, it must be." Mari retorted. "It's the only way you wouldn't understand what we're telling you. Go apologize to Shinji and fix this before it gets too out of hand."

"Why do I have to apologize?!" Asuka asked incredulously. "I'm not the one at fault here! This isn't like with Kaworu, he wasn't ricked! He should be apologizing to me! I've missed Kaji so much, and he knew that I missed him! If he cared as much about me as he claims, then he would have told me the truth to make me feel better!"

"I don't think she gets it…" Rei muttered.

"Well, then she'll just have to get used to sleeping alone if she can't even go talk to him." Mari quipped and then sighed. "Well, I don't have any more time to waste trying to convince you you're being an idiot. Shinji's waiting to drive me home."

Asuka stared angrily at Mari as she strolled to her own locker and began changing, with Rei following suit. Asuka, still enraged, finished getting dressed and left the locker room without another word. Mari, after quickly getting dressed, avoided looking at Rei and instead faced her locker and took a deep breath.

"Thanks for backing me up." Mari said.

"I was defending onii–chan." Rei said bluntly.

"Oh…" Mari muttered as she sniffled a bit. "Rei… is what Asuka said true?" Mari asked. "You… a… avoid me?"

"Yes, it's true." Rei replied.

"Why…?" Mari asked.

"It's easier for me." Rei said. "I… I don't like being around you anymore."

"But…" Mari said as she choked back tears. "I… I love you Rei…"

"I avoid you so we don't have to have this conversation…" Rei muttered. "I'd rather avoid seeing you cry again…"

"What… what do you mean?" Mari asked tearfully.

"I don't like hearing people cry." Rei said bluntly. "That's all." Rei looked at Mari. 'And I'm still not ready to have this conversation with you…' Rei thought.

"Oh… I thought maybe… it's not important…" Mari sniffled. "Look, I… I think Asuka left without you… so Shinji can drive you home… I'll… I'll just walk…" Mari murmured as she shuffled out of the locker room slowly, with Rei giving her a sullen look as she left.

'Onii–chan would be upset if I didn't say something…' Rei thought. "Mari… thank you for letting me ride home with onii–chan…"

"Oh, hey it's… it's not a problem…" Mari muttered as she left. "I could use the walk anyway…"

"This is why I wanted to avoid her…" Rei mumbled to herself. "I didn't want to make her cry again… once was enough…"

–––

As Mari left the locker room, she noticed Shinji wasn't waiting for her, so she moved quickly as to not be seen by him coming out of the men's locker room. As she got to the elevators, she went surface entrance that would give her the shortest walk home from NERV. The entire ride up to the surface, she did her best to not break down. There were people around, and she didn't want them to think she was unstable considering they were entrusting an Evangelion to her again. However, once she emerged on the surface, she ran away from the entrance as fast as she could, stopping when she could barely catch her breath. She slumped down against the closest wall she could find and began to cry.

"Why… won't she… talk to… me?" Mari stammered between sobs. "What did… I do to… upset her…?" Mari buried her face in her hands as she felt raindrops on her shoulder.

"I don't care if she doesn't love me… I'd rather be her friend than not have her at all! But he won't even talk to me!" Mari cried out as a deluge of rain came pouring down. "This sucks! Asuka's mad at me, Rei won't talk to me, and Misato's being as asshole! Why can't we all just get along like we used to?!"

Mari slowly stood up as the rain steadily got worse, creating small rivers in the road as the storm drain struggled to keep up with downpour.

"I don't belong here… I should have died in Second Impact like so many others…" Mari muttered. "Things would be better if I never met Rei… losing someone you love once is bad enough… but twice…?" Mari sobbed. "It's too much for one lifetime…"

As Mari walked through the pouring rain, a flash of thunder illuminated everything around her, and she saw two figures, both were wearing their old junior high school uniforms and looked quite familiar. The shorter one, the girl, had pale blue hair, and the boy had silvery white hair. Both appeared to have crimson eyes, and appeared to be looking directly at Mari, staring blankly at her, almost as if they weren't even there.

"What the fuck…" Mari muttered. "Is that… he's dead… and Rei… what…?"

Mari ran towards the figures, only for clap of thunder to finally show up and distract her. When she looked back, she saw that they were gone.

"That… that isn't possible." Mari muttered. "That's just not possible…"

–––

Shinji was very perplexed when he met Rei by his car. She said Mari had offered her seat to her and that she would walk home. Shinji was confused by this, as he thought Rei had driven with Asuka to NERV, and Rei explained most of what happened in the locker room, leaving out the part where she and Mari talked about their relationship, and about Asuka spilling out many of the secrets she knew. As Shinji was driving, he had to stop to put up the top– up so the car wouldn't flood, and he worried about Mari walking home in such harsh weather. Finally, as Shinji got home, he noticed that neither Asuka's bright red Skyline, nor Misato's blue Alpine were in their usual parking spaces. After getting on the elevator, Shinji left Rei as he got out on the twelfth floor, and she continued up to their new apartment. He got to the door and unlocked it, greeting Kaji in the kitchen as he was cooking.

"Hey kid, how did the sync tests go today?" Kaji asked.

"The tests were fine." Shinji said.

"What wasn't fine?" Kaji asked.

"Well, Asuka and Misato still hate me, and now Asuka' arguing with Mari and Rei because they defended me…"

"Good on them for defending you." Kaji said. "At least they understand."

"But what about Asuka and Misato?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, I think you're just getting some backlash for covering for me." Kaji said. "They're pissed at me, and they're taking out some of that frustration and anger out on you. They'll talk to you again, you just have to be patient."

"Are you sure about that?" Shinji asked. "Do you remember how stubborn they both are?"

"Well… yeah." Kaji said. "But they're not that stubborn, Shinji. They'll come around soon enough."

"Soon enough to them could be a very long time." Shinji replied sarcastically.

"I'm sensing some hostility myself." Kaji replied. "Are we ok, kid?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired and want things to go back to normal." Shinji said as a flash of thunder made the lights in the apartment flicker.

"Huh… that's different." Kaji said.

"Oh, that's normal." Shinji said. "Whenever we have a strong storm like this, the power stations get struck by lightning."

"Seriously?" Kaji asked. "They know that some lightning rods would fix the problem… right?"

"No idea." Shinji said. "We just sort of deal with it…"

As the sound of the thunder rolled past them, another noise startled the both of them into drawing their guns; the doorbell.

 ** _DING DONG_**

"Who the hell could that be?" Kaji asked.

"Maybe its Mari…" Shinji muttered.

"Why would she be here?" Kaji asked.

"She walked home." Shinji replied.

"Didn't you drive her?" Kaji asked.

"I'll explain everything in a minute." Shinji said. "Let's just figure out who's at the door…"

They both cautiously approached the door, as the person on the other side impatiently rang the doorbell several more times in rapid succession. Shinji opened the door, and to his shock, saw Asuka standing outside.

"I send you away for a few days, and you turn into an uncivilized beast, baka…" Asuka muttered. "What took you so long?"

"We weren't expecting anyone." Shinji replied.

"Bad excuse." Asuka said as she strolled inside.

"So are we talking again?" Shinji asked.

"Not yet." Asuka said. "I have something to say to you first."

"Ok…" Shinji muttered as he closed and locked the door. He turned around to see Asuka raise her hand, but didn't have time to react.

SLAP

Asuka slapped Shinji so hard she knocked him into the wall and his gun clattered to floor, thankfully not going off by accident.

"Asuka!" Kaji shouted. "What the hell?!"

"I'm not ready for you yet!" Asuka shouted at him as she turned on Shinji. "That was for lying to me baka!"

"O… ok…" Shinji muttered as he got back up. "I guess I deserved that…"

"No, you deserve a lot more than that!" Asuka replied angrily. "But a locker already got the brunt of my frustration today, so that's all I've got left! I just can't believe you didn't trust me, Shinji! You tell me everything, and I tell you everything! But you leave out that Kaji's alive when I cry about him being gone sometimes?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Asuka, I didn't have a choice…" Shinji muttered.

"That's not good enough!" Asuka said angrily. "Tell me the truth, baka! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Asuka…"

"Fucking hell Shinji, just tell me!" Asuka shouted. "You won't make me any madder than I already am! Just tell me the truth!"

"Asuka, you couldn't handle the truth!" Shinji replied angrily. "I knew if I told you, you'd want to go see him, and I couldn't risk Kaji getting killed because you wanted to see him! Either that or you'd have hit me for being a jerk kidding about something like that!"

"Oh…" Asuka muttered, the fire in her eyes being replaced by a glossy look. "I… maybe I wouldn't have believed you…" Asuka muttered in reply. "But do you really think I'd have hit you for telling me?"

"You just slapped me for not telling you!" Shinji replied.

"I… I'm sorry Shinji…" Asuka said. "I shouldn't hit you, it's not right…" Asuka shook her head. "Those two were right… I was overreacting again… just like with Kaworu… I'm such an idiot… such a fucking idiot…"

"Asuka, you're not an idiot, you were just upset." Shinji said consolingly.

"Yes I am…" Asuka replied. "I shouldn't blame you for what those two made you lie about." Asuka kissed Shinji on the cheek and then turned to face Kaji. "You on the other hand…" Asuka raised her again.

SLAP

"That's for making me believe you were dead!" Asuka shouted. "I love you Kaji, why would you do that to me?! I don't care if you were protecting me, it was selfish to not at least tell me you were alive!"

"Asuka… I'm… I'm sorry…" Kaji said as he recovered from the slap. "I didn't see any other way to deal with it… I had to disappear and dying was a pretty good way to do it."

SLAP

"Don't patronize me with your fucking apologies!" Asuka shouted. "They don't mean shit if you plan on disappearing on us again!"

"Well, I don't plan on disappearing again, Asuka." Kaji said. "I've missed too much and lost even more… I should have known the risk of staying here was worth it in the long run."

"Good." Asuka replied as she wrapped her arms around Kaji. "Cause if you do disappear again, I'll find you and kick your ass."

"So, we're ok?" Kaji asked.

"No." Asuka said as she let go of Kaji. "I'm still mad at you, but I will talk to you seeing as I'm down here."

"So why are you down here?" Shinji asked.

"So that I don't have to sleep alone anymore." Asuka replied sheepishly. "I haven't slept at all since you got kicked out…"

"Neither have I." Shinji replied.

"Good, cause all we're doing is sleeping, baka." Asuka quipped.

"I wasn't expecting anything else, Asuka…" Shinji said. "I'm just glad we're talking again. We never really… well… fight."

"I'm glad we're talking too." Asuka replied. "I didn't really realize how much we actually talk until you weren't there. I was really bored."

"So you didn't miss me?" Shinji asked.

"No, I missed you, but I was upset… and confused." Asuka replied as she sighed deeply. "Can we talk about this later, I just want to go to bed…"

"Sure." Shinji said happily. "I'm in my old room."

"Been a while since we were in there…" Asuka smirked. "That bed's gonna feel awful tiny…"

* * *

April 5, 2020 – NERV HQ

It had been over a week since Kaji had reappeared from his grave. Misato, who had been, and was still enraged, that Kaji had been hiding from her for the past three years. She had spent the better part of the last few days living in her office at NERV so she was as far away from Kaji as possible, and to avoid any more run–ins with Mari insisting that she let Shinji back into the apartment.

So, after a long needed break in the cafeteria for a change in surroundings, and some edible food, she came back from lunch to see her office doors ajar. She walked inside cautiously to see a mane of red hair sitting impatiently in front of her desk.

"Asuka?" Misato asked.

"Took you long enough." Asuka said. "You don't come home, you don't answer the phone… it's almost like you're avoiding us."

"I didn't feel like listening to Mari go on and on again." Misato said. "So if that's why you're here, you can leave now."

"That is why I'm here." Asuka said. "And I'm not leaving till you listen."

"What, all of a sudden you forgave them?!" Misato asked as she slammed her office door behind her. "You stormed off before I was even able to finish yelling at them."

"Because I was upset!" Asuka replied angrily. "But I got over it! I understand why Kaji had to hide like that!"

"Oh you do, do you?" Misato asked. "Please… enlighten me."

"I can't explain it to you, Misato." Asuka replied tersely. "You have to figure it out for yourself."

"Why should I have to figure anything out regarding that asshole?" Misato asked.

"Because you love him." Asuka said. "Unless you've been crying over someone you hate, which is just pathetic."

"I'm not pathetic!" Misato shouted back.

"So you do love him." Asuka retorted.

"No… that's not… shut up!" Misato replied.

"Well, you've as confused as I was about this." Asuka said.

"I honestly don't believe that you've come to terms with all this." Misato replied. "You're more stubborn than I am."

"Well I have because my annoying friends reminded me about how acting so stupid and petty got me nowhere the last time something like this happened." Asuka explained.

"And that would be?" Misato asked.

"Kaworu, that little… Angel…" Asuka muttered. "I hated Shinji for taking his side… but I overreacted and made things worse than they needed to be. If I hadn't been such a bitch… maybe Shinji wouldn't have to live with the guilt of killing to fucking bastard."

"So, what does that have to do with me?" Misato asked.

"You can hate Kaji all you want, but at least let Shinji come home." Asuka said. "He was just doing the same thing he did for you. He lied for him to protect us, and he lied for you to protect my feelings."

"Those are two completely different things!" Misato shouted.

"No… they both involve lying to me… so they're pretty much the same." Asuka said matter–of–factly.

"What Shinji did for him was way worse!" Misato said. "I only had him lie so you wouldn't tip off the U.N. as to what I was doing!"

"Which is what exactly…?" Asuka asked. "Was it… illegal?"

"Very much so." Misato said. "I wasn't supposed to be training anyone."

"You're an idiot." Asuka said. "You risked Shinji for that?! Are you fucking stupid? He doesn't really even need to train, he's good enough as it is!"

"Well someone had to in case they woke up again, and look, your mothers are awake and ready to break the fuck out of here! And now I've got that U.N. pain in my ass breathing down my neck questioning every fucking decision I make!" Misato explained exasperatedly. "Now I've got someone who's supposed to be dead in my old apartment, and a kid I can't trust because he lied to me while I suffered!"

"Cause you set such a high example by making him lie for you?!" Asuka shouted back. "You might have adopted us, and you may as well be our mother, but you don't get to force Shinji into something like that again, do you understand me?!"

"You're not the parent here!" Misato shouted.

"So what, someone needs to act like one! You're certainly not acting like one right now, hiding out here just to avoid the man you love!" Asuka retorted. "Get your act together Misato! Life is too short to hold a grudge against someone you've cried over at least once a week for the past three years!"

"I have not cried that much!" Misato rebutted.

"Bullshit!" Asuka replied. "Kaji found the message on your old answering machine! We all listened to it the other night! Why would you keep something like that if you didn't love him!"

"I… that's none of your business!" Misato replied.

"Really?" Asuka asked. "I think it is considering I have to sneak down to our old apartment just to spend time with my boyfriend!"

"Why doesn't he just come upstairs?" Misato asked snidely.

"Because he doesn't want to upset you anymore!" Asuka shouted back. "He's hated lying to us all about this, but Kaji was right, we were better off! And Shinji didn't tell me because I would have wanted to see him! But then Kaji could have been killed if I went to meet him! It might suck, but it was the best option!"

"No it wasn't!" Misato said. "Kaji could have sent me the note to meet up! I would have wanted to meet him!"

"Which is what SEELE would have expected him to do!" Asuka retorted. "Kaji explained this, Shinji was the best choice, he can keep a secret, and he was the least likely person Kaji would contact!"

"So what?!" Misato asked. "They could have expected him to do that instead! Then he really would have been dead!"

"No, because SEELE and the Japanese government kept underestimating him!" Asuka said. "They always assumed they had him!"

"And how do you know all this?" Misato asked. "Or are you just bullshitting me so I won't be mad at Shinji anymore?"

"Kaji explained it to me!" Asuka replied. "If you'd just talk to him, he could tell you all this shit himself, instead of using me a go between!"

"I don't want to talk to him anymore!" Misato shouted. "He's dead to me! I was happier when he was dead! At least I knew I'd never have to see him again! But then that bastard shows up and expects me to love him again, and I refuse to love someone who wouldn't even try to talk to me for three years!"

"You sound kinda upset over someone you don't love…" Asuka said, trying to get Misato to snap. "Sure, you don't live him at all… hell, Kaji even said that you wouldn't love him anymore… he actually expected nothing less from you."

"That motherfucker!" Misato shouted. "He thinks I don't love him anymore, the arrogant fuck! Of course I love him, but I want to smash his face into a wall for lying to me! I'll fucking show that bastard how much I love him!"

"Got ya." Asuka said snidely. "I knew you were lying about still loving Kaji. You were so full of shit."

"Fuck…" Misato muttered. "So, does he really think that we're over, or did you just say that?" Misato asked.

"No, he knew going into hiding and coming back would end things… but he said it was worth it to protect us from getting killed."

"That fucker…" Misato said. "He doesn't get to dump me by default!"

"He didn't dump you, Misato." Asuka said. "He… well he didn't die I guess, but it looked like he did."

"So, he doesn't get to decide when our relationship is over, whether my life is at stake or not!" Misato replied.

"So go talk to him, Misato." Asuka said.

"No." Misato said. "I don't want to give him the satisfaction."

"And you call me stubborn…" Asuka muttered.

"Well, you are." Misato replied.

"Whatever." Asuka retorted. "And if you really don't want to talk to Kaji, that's your business, but at least forgive Shinji. Considering he lied for you, it's the least you can do."

"I said no, Asuka." Misato said. "I don't want to forgive Shinji, he doesn't deserve it."

"Even though he's been training to use an EVA against the orders of the U.N.?" Asuka asked. "Even though he's cooked and cleaned for you all these years, and fought countless battles he never wanted to participate in, he doesn't deserve the least bit of consideration?"

"I… no… no he doesn't." Misato said. "I can't forgive this."

"Come on Misato, if I can forgive Shinji, you certainly can." Asuka said. "He worked around our bullshit. I know you can handle that at least."

"You're a kid, Asuka, you don't know any better." Misato said coldly. "No Shinji will lie to you about everything, thinking you'll just forgive him."

"You really are an asshole." Asuka said. "Shinji's nothing like that, and if you really think that, you deserve to be all alone." Asuka stood up suddenly. "And Rei was right, I shouldn't have come to talk to you at all, it really was a waste of time…" Asuka walked angrily to the door. "You know, Misato, I used to think you were awesome… but now…" Asuka opened the door. "I can't believe I let someone as spiteful as my own shitty father adopt me." Asuka walked out the door with Misato's disbelieving gaze following her. "I'm just glad Kaji's back… at least I'll have someone else to look up to going forward." Asuka slammed the door behind her leaving Misato before she could muster up a retort.

"I… I'm nothing like her father…" Misato muttered. "He beat her and made her feel afraid to go home…" Misato sighed. "Shit…"

–––

Kaji was resting comfortably on the couch. Having gone without a restful sleep since coming back from the dead, Kaji was dead tired. So, with Asuka gone and Shinji quietly relaxing in his old room, Kaji decided to try and get some semblance of rest before Asuka got back. However, as he was trying to take a nap in peace, he heard someone storm into the apartment, sounding none too pleased.

"I cannot believe her!" Asuka grumbled.

"So, it went well did it?" Kaji asked as he sat up.

"What do you think?" Asuka asked sarcastically.

"She disagreed with everything you said, and you pissed her off by saying something mean when she didn't agree with you." Kaji guessed.

"Damn your good." Asuka muttered.

"No, I heard you practicing what you going to say this morning." Kaji said.

"You were asleep!" Asuka said.

"No, I was only pretending so I wouldn't get glared at again." Kaji said.

"Well, you deserve to be glared at, you big dumb idiot!" Asuka said scoldingly. "If you'd just told her about being alive, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Yeah, we'd all likely be dead…" Kaji muttered.

"I know, but she just isn't getting that." Asuka said.

"I told you she wouldn't understand." Kaji said. "I told you not to bother."

"Well, I'm stubborn, aren't I?" Asuka asked sarcastically.

"Yes, you are, but you believe me now, right?" Kaji asked.

"Well… I still don't fully agree with you having to even tell Shinji you were alive." Asuka said. "But everything else makes sense." Asuka sighed. "At least I tried…"

"Hey, I'm going to tell you the same thing I tell Shinji." Kaji said. "Misato will come around eventually, she just needs to get past the anger she's throwing at Shinji."

"Sure, cause that'll happen sometime soon." Asuka said as she rolled her eyes. "I guess I should tell Shinji he's stuck here."

"I thought that was going to happen anyway." Shinji said as he walked into the room. "I heard you come in…"

"Well, then you know that Misato is an idiot and won't listen to reason." Asuka said. "And she doesn't get that making you lie for her is as bad as Kaji making you lie for him."

"She wouldn't see the problem with that." Kaji said. "She always had a problem with accepting responsibility…"

"I'm the one who has trouble accepting responsibility?" Misato asked as she made Shinji jump.

"How the hell did you get in here?" Asuka asked.

"I have a key, Asuka." Misato said. "Now you and Shinji get upstairs. I need to talk to Kaji alone…"

"What, so you can profess your love to him, or so you can beat him senseless?" Asuka asked sarcastically.

"Asuka, just go." Misato said dismissively. "And Shinji, we'll talk upstairs when I'm done here, but I am sorry that I made you feel unwanted… I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you…"

"Ok, Misato." Shinji replied meekly as Asuka led him to the door.

"And Asuka?" Misato asked.

"What, Misato?" Asuka replied.

"You really hurt me with what you said." Misato said glumly. "I'm nothing like your father…"

"Well, it made you see reason didn't it?" Asuka asked.

"Maybe it did…" Misato replied. "Now get out of here, I need to ta talk to him in private."

"Come on, we don't need to see them fight." Asuka said as they left. "We'll probably hear it upstairs anyway"

"So, Asuka did get through to you." Kaji said. "That's a shock."

"Shut up." Misato said angrily. "Right now, you don't get to talk, you just get to listen. You lost that right when you pretended to be dead for three years!"

"Well, I think I know where this is going…" Kaji muttered.

"Where else would it go, you selfish ass!" Misato shouted. "You fucking lied to me! You left me all alone thinking you were dead!"

"Well, that was point…" Kaji started.

"I said shut up!" Misato shouted. "And I can't believe that you told Shinji of all people! Why him, why did he get to know you were alive! Why did I have to be the one to find out as a fucking surprise when you thought it was necessary to come back from the dead?!"

"I told you this already, Katsuragi." Kaji said. "People were watching you, watching Asuka, watching NERV. They knew if I was faking my death, I'd tell one of you, that I'd meet one of you, but everyone always underestimates Shinji."

"No they don't!" Misato said angrily. "Shinji's strong!"

"They do, Misato! SEELE didn't think that way, and neither did his father." Kaji said. "Gendo was always surprised when Shinji pulled something incredible off, and SEELE never understood how a broken child could fight the way he did. They didn't think I had a relationship with him, and I certainly didn't tell them any differently. You and Asuka though, they knew of our relationship, we didn't exactly hide it, and Asuka, I was her guardian for how many years? Of course I cared for you both, and too many people knew. But no one would guess that I told Shinji… sure it wasn't fair for him to have to carry that burden, but someone had to know in case I needed to come back. And I apparently needed to come back, didn't I? No one was watching him, so I took my chance one day in Tokyo–2 when you all left him alone."

"But why not me?!" Misato shouted. "I don't care if I was in danger, I would have wanted to know damn it!"

"Because I couldn't risk your life!" Kaji shouted back. "How could I risk your life knowing that you'd be the first person they looked to?! It's not that I didn't trust you, I didn't think I could stay away if you knew! It was hard enough knowing you were out there all alone and to stay away from you for so fucking long!"

"You couldn't risk my life?!" Misato shouted back. "I'm not a child! I can protect myself!"

"It's wasn't just protecting you!" Kaji shouted back. "It was making sure those kids had someone to look after them! It was making sure those kids were safe too! What do you think would happen if got hurt?! Do you think the government or the United Nations would leave those kids alone?!"

"No, they'd probably take them into their custody…" Misato began. "Oh… I didn't think of that…"

"Clearly." Kaji replied.

"Hey!" Misato said angrily. "Don't think you know everything, smartass! You still had to play dead for three years!"

"At least I can admit my faults, Misato." Kaji said calmly. "Do you still think having Shinji lie to Asuka did any good?"

"Yes I do!" Misato replied. "We have one trained pilot ready to fight in case an Angel does show up. If I had to do this all over again, I wouldn't change a thing."

"That's where you and I are different, Misato." Kaji said. "If I had to do this over, I'd have exposed SEELE instead of hiding for three years. In the long run… I'd have rather been with you."

Misato looked taken aback by what Kaji said. "You can't be serious." Misato muttered.

"I am serious Misato." Kaji said. "I gave up everything to protect you when I should have stayed here. I'm sorry that I left you… I should have found another way… I should have been more careful."

"Oh… I wasn't… I didn't think…" Misato stammered. "I didn't think you were going to apologize."

"I think I've wasted enough time." Kaji said. "You know my reasons, I just wish things could have been different."

"Well, I won't say that I'm not a little glad to have you back." Misato replied. "But that doesn't mean I forgive for this shit." Misato said sternly. "You think it was easy letting you go after we finally got back together? Then you come back and ruin all the progress I've made? It's total shit!"

"I wasn't looking for or expecting forgiveness, Misato." Kaji said. "Just understanding."

"Well, you're not going to get that." Misato said. "I still need time to think this all through. I can't… I can't just let this go… I have to really think about… us… it's been too long."

"Just as long as you're not mad at Shinji anymore. He doesn't deserve it." Kaji said. "You can be mad at me forever, I'm the one that deserves it."

"You're not wrong." Misato said. "But maybe not forever. Just until I get used to you being back." Misato shook her finger at him. "But don't think that if I forgive you, we're going to get back together."

"I'll just be happy if we can talk to each other like normal adults." Kaji said.

"That I think we can handle." Misato said. "Someday." Misato sighed. "I do have to eventually ask what you've been up to for the past three years besides killing SEELE's elite. But that's for another night."

"Your call." Kaji said. "I'll tell it whenever you're ready."

"Well… uh… goodnight I guess." Misato said. "I uh… hope you'll be ok down here all on your own."

"I'll be fine." Kaji said. "Shinji needs to be with the people he loves, which is way more important than keeping me company." Kaji grabbed Shinji's gun from the kitchen counter. "Just give him this, and I'll feel safer knowing he has it with him."

"Fair enough." Misato said as she left the apartment. "Just don't disappear again, got it?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Misato." Kaji replied as she left.

–––

As Misato got upstairs, she walked silently into her new apartment, sighing deeply as closed the door. She heard laughing from the living room and crept over to see the four kids happily watching TV together. Misato smiled and walked quietly over to Shinji and wrapped her arms around him, whispering a single phrase in his ear. "I'm sorry."

* * *

April 10, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Senior High School, Class 3–A

It had been a week and a half since Kaji had come back from the dead. Things were beginning to get back to normal, but now school was upon them. Two weeks into their final year of high school, the kids were exhausted. They had loads of homework they weren't prepared for, and more tests and quizzes than they were used to. Adding in that they were also training to pilot once again on top of studying hard to get into college, it was about the all they could do to stay awake and listen in class as the teacher drowned on like their old junior high school teacher.

"Oh my god… this is awful…" Mari muttered. "I hate school…"

"Oh, be quiet, four eyes." Asuka said. "You're not the only one suffering here."

"Can you both be quiet?" Hikari asked. "Some of us are trying to listen."

"Yeah, come on you guys, it's bad enough we're doing so much as it is." Rei said. "Don't make this any harder on us."

"How are we making this more difficult?" Mari asked. "I just want to eat lunch…"

"Well, if you were up on time, maybe you'd have had breakfast like a normal person." Asuka said.

"Whatever…" Mari said. "Just make it be lunchtime already."

"I'm with Mari, I'm hungry, and I had breakfast." Toji added.

"How will I ever be able to listen with everyone talking so much?" Hikari asked.

 ** _Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding_**

"Thank you, gods above for hearing my prayers." Mari said happily.

"It appears it's lunch time. Today is certainly going by fast." The teacher said. "We will pick up where we left off after lunch. Class is dismissed."

Hikari rolled her eyes a Mari as she stood up. "Rise… Bow… Sit!" Hikari said in her ever commanding voice as the class followed suit as the teacher left the room.

"Well, time for lunch!" Toji said excitedly.

"Yeah, what's on the menu for today?" Kensuke wondered.

"Last night's leftovers." Hikari said as she passed Kensuke and Toji a bento. "Didn't really have time to make anything different."

"You're so nice, Hikari." Kensuke said. "Thank you."

"Wow, my boyfriend doesn't even say thank you." Hikari joked.

"No, I say I love you." Toji said as he kissed Hikari on the cheek.

"Guys, come on, I'm eating." Kensuke said.

"Should we leave the room so you two can get it on?" Asuka joked.

"Asuka, don't talk like that!" Hikari said admonishingly. "You can't do that on school grounds."

"Sure… cause that rule has stopped so many horny teenagers." Mari joked.

"Why must they always talk about sex at lunch?" Rei asked.

"No idea." Shinji replied nonchalantly. "But its better than listening to them complain about the lecture."

"What about the lecture?" Mari asked.

"Shit." Shinji muttered.

"It was boring as hell." Asuka said. "Didn't learn a thing."

"Well, maybe if you listened instead of complaining, you would learn something." Hikari said.

"Well, I've already done this once, freckles." Mari said. "I'm glad I breezed through it the first time, I never would have made it otherwise."

"Yes, we know." Kensuke said. "But you're here, so you can suffer along with the rest of us."

"It's not really suffering." Rei said. "At least this teacher isn't as boring as our junior high one… always droning on about pre–Second Impact."

"I know, it's not like things were awesome back then…" Mari muttered. "It's probably as shitty now as it was then, there's just less people."

"Mari!" Shinji said admonishingly.

"What?" Mari asked. "It's not a lie. A lot of people died, but Earth is still a shitty place with bad people around every corner… you of all people should know that."

"Still, it's not a nice to say." Shinji replied.

"Well Shinji, think of it this way…" Toji said. "Even though the world is filled with assholes, you still thought there was some hope for us all."

"I know." Shinji said. "It just wish the Evangelions never existed… then we could live a normal life…"

"Come on, you must be a little excited to be training again." Kensuke said.

"No, not really." Shinji said. "It means that an Angel could attack."

"What I'd give to be an EVA pilot…" Kensuke muttered.

"Probably your left nut, or any chance at a girlfriend." Toji joked.

"I doubt he'd give up a girlfriend." Sakura said as she wandered into their room. "Right, Kensuke?"

"R… right." Kensuke stammered.

"Hey sis, what a nice surprise." Toji said.

"Oh, just wanted to thank your loving girlfriend for my lunch." Sakura said.

"Well, why don't you join us?" Toji asked. "Hey Kensuke, move over so she can sit down."

"Yeah, sure." Kensuke said.

"Kensuke, don't let my mean brother boss you around like that." Sakura said. "I can sit on the floor next to you."

"No, you don't have to." Kensuke said. "I'll sit on the floor."

"And they say chivalry is dead." Sakura said kindly.

"You're always so nice to my sister, Kensuke." Toji said. "It's nice to have a friend who I can trust with my sister."

"Oh yeah?" Kensuke asked nervously.

"Yeah, I'm sure he'd take good care for her if you left them alone." Mari joked.

"So seeing as none of us having cleaning duty after school." Hikari said hurriedly to change the subject. "Wanna go do something fun once we're out of here?"

"Like what, study for our entrance exams fun or karaoke fun?" Mari asked.

"We can do both." Hikari said unconvincingly.

"Yeah, Mari will be too busy singing, and you'll be too worried about studying." Toji said. "Doesn't sound like much fun to me."

"Nor me." Rei said.

"You guys are no fun at all…" Mari muttered.

"No, we just want to get into a good college."

"I'm happy not going." Toji said.

"Toji, you're going." Hikari said exasperatedly. "You're more than capable."

"Yeah, but what's the point?" Toji asked. "I really have no idea what I want to do."

"So, a lot of people go to college and have no idea what they want to do." Kensuke said.

"Yeah, Shinji and I have no idea, but we're going." Asuka said.

"Mari, you've been to college, right?" Toji asked. "I… what did you do again?"

"Metaphysical Biology as my doctorate." Mari replied. "Nothing fancy."

"What even is that?" Toji asked. "Is that like magic?"

"I've explained it before jockstrap." Mari said. "Maybe you should pay attention better."

"See, this is why I'd be bad at college." Toji said.

"Stop underestimating yourself." Shinji said. "You just have to get in and you can decide what you want to do later."

"Yeah, but why go if I don't want to?" Toji asked. "I don't want to take someone's spot, especially if they really want it."

"Toji, stop being an idiot." Sakura said. "You want to go to college, you're just freaking out like you did over going to junior high school."

"I did not freak out!" Toji said angrily.

"Sure you didn't, bro." Sakura said. "What I don't make friends? What if no one likes me?" Sakura said in a mocking deep voice. "Any of that sound familiar?"

"I didn't say anything like that!" Toji said loudly.

"Did he really say that?" Hikari asked.

"Yep." Sakura said slyly.

"Oh, that's adorable." Hikari said as she ruffled Toji's hair. "I love it when you're vulnerable…"

"Huh?" Toji asked as the lights suddenly got very bright, with several of them blowing out.

"What the hell was that?" Asuka asked.

"A power surge." Rei said.

"Yeah, but what caused it?" Kensuke asked. "Things like haven't happened in like… three years…"

"No, it's not that." Hikari said worriedly. "Right?"

"Well, maybe there was an issue at the power plant." Toji said.

"Yeah, but… " Mari muttered. "The lights wouldn't blow themselves out like that without some kind of massive explosion somewhere. There are surge protectors to stop things like that… unless they were overloaded for some reason…"

"Yeah, but beyond lightning hitting the power station what has the power to do that?" Shinji asked.

"Evangelions." Kensuke said.

"That or…" Mari began.

"Don't you fucking say it, four eyes." Asuka warned.

"An Angel." Mari finished.

"Well, let's hope it was that lightning then." Asuka muttered angrily.  
–––

In the Command Center, alarms were going off indicating something major had happened. The last thing anyone knew, the JSSDF had engaged with something in the vicinity of the Tokyo–2, having scrambled Archangel Squadron to deal with the threat.

"Hyuga, can you confirm if Archangel Squadron has bombed something?!" Misato asked. "We need confirmation N2 Bombs have been dropped!"

"Working on it ma'am!" Hyuga said. "I can't seem to contact Tokyo–2 for confirmation!"

"Try harder!" Misato ordered. "Aoba, get me the Prime Minister immediately!"

"Can't get through ma'am, lines are down." Aoba replied. "There is no response."

"Damn it!" Misato said angrily. "What the hell is going on?! Sumire, what about chatter on JSSDF frequencies?"

"There's no chatter… just static." Sumire replied. "I'm not reading any transponders either."

"Hyuga, Aoba, tell me something!" Misato asked. "What about the power surge?"

"MAGI have traced the source to Tokyo–2." Hyuga said. "Cause is still unknown."

"What's going on Colonel?" Yuki asked as she walked in.

"Oh great, you're still here…" Misato muttered. "What now?"

"Colonel, I just want to know our current situation." Yuki said.

"I don't have anything to tell you." Misato said. "As you can see, I'm quite busy, so please just stand there quietly and observe!"

"Colonel, I just want a situation report…" Yuki began.

"I have literally no information for you, Chief Inspector." Misato said. "We're trying to figure out what's going on."

"Colonel, still no response from the government or the JSSDF." Hyuga said. "But everything we're seeing is that whatever's going on, Tokyo–2 is the epicenter."

"Get a satellite into position." Misato said. "Get me a visual!"

"On it, ma'am." Aoba said. "Thirty seconds."

"Tokyo–2?" Yuki asked. "What about Tokyo–2?"

"We'll find out in a moment." Misato said.

"OBSAT–3 is in position." Aoba replied. "Putting it on main display."

As soon as Aoba said, an image of utter destruction came on screen. Where Tokyo–2, formerly Matsumoto City, stood was nothing but gutted skyscrapers, rubbed, and charred Earth. There was a deep crater just outside the city where the blast must have originated from, spreading some kind of destruction outwards, wiping the city out in the process.

"My god…" Misato mumbled.

"Is that…?" Yuki asked.

"Ma'am, I can confirm, Tokyo–2 has been destroyed." Hyuga said. "I've identified several buildings that withstood the blast, but otherwise… it's a total loss."

"What could have caused this…?" Yuki asked.

"Two things really." Aoba said. "An N2 Bomb, or…"

"An Angel." Hyuga finished.

"What are the odds of either one of those happening?" Yuki asked.

"Well… Archangel Squadron was launched, perhaps it was just a training exercise that went wrong." Sumire said. "They would have notified us if it was an Angel… right?"

"Not necessarily." Hyuga said. "Those assholes have a stick up their ass when it comes to us. Especially after what happened when they tried to kill us all."

"Pan over and see if anything's moving out there." Misato said.

"Zooming out…" Hyuga said. "And nothing… weird."

"Run a full spectral analysis on the area surrounding the ruins of Tokyo–2." Misato said. "I want to know if anything's coming."

"Should I include a wave form analysis?" Hyuga asked.

"Of course." Misato said. "I meant anything." Misato sighed. "Aoba, set Level–3 battle stations, and set the AIS to standby. Just to be safe."

"Understood." Aoba said.

"Please, let it be anything but what I think is going to be coming…" Misato said quietly.

"And what do you expect, Colonel?" Yuki asked.

"In the pit of my stomach, I'm expecting an Angel." Misato said.

"I thought the last of them was destroyed by Mr. Ikari." Yuki said.

"Well… there's always the possibility of another one." Misato said. "The EVAs are awake, and Tokyo–2 is a smoking fucking crater."

"Uh… Colonel…?" Hyuga said nervously.

"Don't tell me." Misato said.

"I've got a result on the wave form analysis." Hyuga said. "And I'm sorry to have to say this again but… a Pattern Blue has been detected and confirmed… it's an Angel… the Eighteenth Angel… and it's heading our way."

"An Eighteenth Angel?!" Yuki shouted. "The files we were given specifically said there were only seventeen! We should be fine!"

"Well, they were clearly wrong, Chief Inspector." Misato said sarcastically. "Where is it exactly? Show me what this thing looks like."

"Well ma'am, there it is." Hyuga said as the display screen enlarged to focus on what looked like a giant tortoise. "I think that's the most normal Angel we've seen."

"Looks can be deceiving." Misato said. "Is this the best resolution you can get?"

"Any closer it'll get pixelated." Hyuga said.

"Well, at least we know what to look out for until we can get a better visual." Misato said.

"Yeah, here we go again…" Aoba replied sullenly. "And I was just hoping the EVAs waking up was just a fluke."

"Well, this is what we're trained for… and we knew it could happen. NO time to dwell on that now." Misato said. "Alright Aoba, set Level–1 battle stations, get everyone to the shelters. A generic message will do for now." Misato ordered. "Hyuga, arm the AIS and prepare for Angelic contact from the north northwest, set them to track the Pattern Blue, and make sure we're using that new ammunition we came up with." Misato paused. "Are the new AIS weapons online?"

"Railguns are all set, but the beam weapons still haven't been hooked up to the power or targeting grids." Aoba replied.

"Good enough." Misato said happily. "Sumire, contact the kids and tell them to get here on the double, just them Code Blue, they should get the hint. Then try and get ahold of the JSSDF Command, we need some information on what they encountered."

"On it ma'am." Sumire said.

Misato opened the comm lines down Maya in the Cage. "Maya, can you hear me?" Misato asked.

" _Yes, Colonel._ " Maya replied. " _What's all the commotion about?_ "

"Oh, just another Angel." Misato replied. "Nothing we can't handle, right?"

" _Colonel, this isn't the time for jokes._ " Maya said. " _Please be serious._ "

"It's confirmed Maya, Pattern Blue." Misato said. "I need you to prep Unit–01 and Unit–02 for launch immediately, and give them those new Pallet Rifles with Anti A.T. Field rounds. I want to test those things out." Misato ordered.

" _Right away, ma'am._ " Maya replied. " _I'll need about thirty minutes to prep. We weren't exactly expecting anything like this._ "

"Well, I don't know how long you have…" Misato said. "Do we have any word on that?"

"MAGI estimate Angel's ETA at four hours or so." Hyuga said. "But that's as long as it doesn't encounter any resistance."

"Which is why we need to get ahold of the JSSDF before they do more retarded shit." Misato said. "So Maya, you have your thirty minutes."

" _Thank you, ma'am._ " Maya said. " _Send those two down as soon as they arrive._ "

"As soon as they're briefed, they're all yours." Misato said.  
–––

"Well, it's been twenty minutes… maybe it's not an Angel." Hikari said warily. "I mean, there'd be an alarm by now, right?"

"Well… unless they haven't confirmed it yet." Kensuke said.

"Or there isn't an Angel." Asuka said angrily. "Let's not jump to conclusions until we know for sure, ok?"

"Asuka, even if there is an Angel, we'll be fine." Shinji said.

"No we won't." Asuka said. "We'll be the idiots fighting the stupid thing."

"Yeah, but you'll be in the safest possible place." Mari said. "Inside an EVA."

"In the line of fire." Asuka retorted.

"Enough you two." Rei said. "There aren't any more Angels."

"How do you know?" Toji asked.

"I don't know for sure." Rei said. "I just hope it's true."

 ** _Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding_**

"Great… now class is starting up…" Mari said. "What a shitty lunch…"

"Well at least we didn't get…" Asuka began as Mari's phone rang. "A phone call…"

"Mari, you're supposed to have that off in school!" Hikari said admonishingly.

"Yes, because I follow every rule I would do that." Mari said sarcastically as she answered the phone. "Hello?"

" _Mari, this is Sumire._ " Sumire said. " _I need you all to come in immediately._ "

"Let me guess…" Mari said.

" _Don't say it out loud, Mari. But it is an Angel._ " Sumire said. " _The alert hasn't gone out yet, and you don't need to start a panic.._ "

"Ok, ok, don't get your panties in a twist." Mari said. "How long?"

" _Drive like Misato._ " Sumire said.

"No one can drive like Misato except Misato. But we'll be there." Mari hung up the phone and grimaced. "So, Asuka, I've got some bad news…"

"Fuck off." Asuka said. "Don't you dare tell me."

"Shinji, how fast can the Kuga go?" Mari asked.

"Fast enough I think." Shinji replied. "Why do I need to drive fast?"

"Use your imagination, puppy." Mari said.

"Right." Shinji replied.

"Fucking hell…" Asuka muttered.

"Well, it looks like we can at least leave early." Mari said happily.

"This is not a good reason to have to leave early." Rei said as an announcement came over the schools intercom.

" _This is the Tokyo–3 Emergency Broadcast System… A state of emergency has been declared for the Tokai Region. We request at this time for all civilians to evacuate to the closest emergency shelter in a quick, calm, and orderly fashion for their safety. Failure to do so could result in injury from hazardous conditions. We repeat… this is the Tokyo–3 Emergency Broadcast System… a state of emergency has been declared for the Tokai Region…_ "

"Looks like we're all getting out of here." Toji said.

"So it's really happening again?" Kensuke asked as everyone started to gather their things as calmly as possible.

"Seems like it." Mari said. "The Angels are back."

"Then I guess me and baka have some work to do." Asuka said.

–––

After Shinji drove madly to get them to NERV amidst the masses of people running for the shelters, in a sort of rote memory, the kids rushed to the Command Center. Out of habit, Shinji looked up to where his father used to sit and Fuyutsuki would stand behind, both glowering imposingly over those below, only to find it empty. He looked in front of him to see Aoba, Hyuga and Sumire at their stations, with Misato in her usual spot, standing behind them and switching between pacing wildly or clutching one of their chairs out of frustration as she watched the main holographic display, with the added bonus of seeing her scowl at Yuki. Asuka cleared her throat to get Misato's attention and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Took you guys long enough to get here." Misato said.

"Misato, it's not Grand Theft Auto, we can't just run over random pedestrians." Mari quipped. "And Shinji isn't as reckless as you are when it comes to driving."

"No one is quite as reckless as her…" Asuka muttered.

"Anyway, no that's you're here you need to know what you're up against." Misato said.

"An Angel, Misato." Asuka said sarcastically. "Is there a surprise or something? Are there two? Can it split in two? Is it hiding in a volcano? Or maybe it spits acid?"

"Does it warp the mind of the person in its light beam?" Shinji asked.

"Does it shoot massive lasers?" Rei asked.

"Is it going to try and dive bomb and kill us all?" Asuka asked.

"Does it have ribbons for arms and an eyelid over its Core?" Rei asked.

"Is it a tentacle?" Mari asked.

"Does it look like a human?" Shinji asked worriedly.

"Did it infect another Evangelion?" Rei asked.

"Or better yet… you've got no idea what we're up against." Asuka finished.

"That one was always my favorite." Mari said as she rolled her eyes.

"It certainly added to the challenge of combat." Rei said.

"It's not that we don't know… we just know what it looks like." Misato said defensively. "But we know it's highly destructive…"

"How destructive?" Shinji asked.

"Tokyo–2 has been destroyed." Misato said. "It's nothing but a burned out shell of what it was this morning."

"How many people?" Asuka asked. "How many people were…"

"Incinerated?" Misato replied. "Well… we're not sure. There was a limited evacuation, but it may not have been enough to save a large amount of people."

"So what did it?" Rei asked.

"Hyuga, pull it up on screen." Misato said.

"On it ma'am." Hyuga said as he collapsed the several dozen open windows and focused on one, which showed a live feed of the Angel moving slowly towards Tokyo–3.

"It's a turtle?" Shinji asked.

"More like a tortoise." Mari replied.

"Still… it doesn't look as threatening as some of the other Angels…" Asuka said.

"The octahedron didn't look all that threatening either." Rei said solemnly.

"Ok, so it wiped out a city." Asuka said. "Please tell me you got a special delivery of Evangelions in the last few days."

"Not due in for another week or so." Misato replied. "It's' just Unit–01 and Unit–02."

"So two Evangelions against an angry tortoise." Asuka repeated. "And how do you intend on us fighting that… thing?"

"Pallet Rifles mainly." Misato said. "Unless you can contort your A.T. Field offensively."

"You mean the guns that only worked on one Angel." Shinji asked. "Those same guns."

"With new ammunition." Misato said proudly. "Maya's designed an Anti A.T. Field round. It's based on what happened when Third Impact started."

"What?" Mari asked. "How does that even work?"

"It emits a frequency similar to what Unit–01 did at Third Impact, which neutralizes the opposing A.T. Field. Only problem is that you have to be careful who you shoot at, cause it will pierce your own A.T. Fields if you stray into each other's line of fire." Misato explained. "Beyond that, once the A.T. Field has been cut through, you can light it up like a Christmas Tree."

"Can bullets even pierce their skin?" Rei asked.

"They should, they have flesh, just like we do, and just like the Evangelions." Misato said. "Enough bullets and anything will die. So just keep it distracted and away from the city."

"I can't believe you're giving them so little to go on." Yuki said incredulously. "How are they supposed to effectively fight this Angel without proper intel?"

"Look, behind a desk, you can always find all the information you need in after action reports, but in the real world, in the field, we have to fight an unknown hostile enemy. My first responsibility is to protect the inhabitants of this city." Misato replied angrily.

"At the pilot's expense?" Yuki asked.

"Lady, I don't know who you are, and I don't really care." Asuka said. "We may not like facing something without any idea what we're walking into, but we know it's an Angel, and we know it needs to die."

"The rest of it we'll make up as we go along." Shinji added.

"How is that the right thing to do?" Yuki asked. "You need a tactical plan!"

"Surround it and lead it away from the city." Asuka said. "I do believe that's what Misato said, right Misato?"

"You got it." Misato replied. "And we do have intel, it's just the JSSDF aren't sharing it with us at the moment." Misato glared at Yuki. "But as soon as we beat it out of them, we'll pass it along."

"Why do they have intel?" Rei asked.

"The JSSDF took it upon themselves to attack the Angel without notifying us first." Misato said. "Which really was a mistake, because whatever they did, either they destroyed Tokyo–2 by mistake, or they pissed off the Angel enough to make it level the city. We just don't know yet."

"Considering they're not telling you, I'd guess they fucked up." Mari quipped.

"The JSSDF is highly trained military organization!" Yuki said. "They don't make mistakes."

"They attacked NERV once and assumed we couldn't defend ourselves." Asuka rebutted. "And boy did they underestimate us…"

"They were following orders from corrupt…" Yuki began.

"That's not an excuse for what they did." Misato said. "We had done nothing but protect this city from the Angels."

"Is this really the time for an argument, Misato?" Shinji asked. "Is there anything else you need to tell us instead?"

"Huh, oh, right." Misato replied. "No, just be careful, and don't do anything reckless. You two have done this enough, I think you can handle whatever it throws at you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Asuka said.

"Colonel, ETA on the Angel is now at ninety minutes." Hyuga reported.

"Alright kids you better suit up." Misato said. "The Angel's almost on top of us."

"We remember how to get there." Asuka said. "Come on Shinji, let's go stick our necks out one more time…"

"We'll be rooting for you." Rei said kindly.

"Well, just wait, soon enough you two will be out there with them." Misato said.

"Not soon enough." Asuka quipped as she and Shinji headed for the locker rooms.

–––

Shinji and Asuka nervously approached their respective locker rooms. They paused at the doors and smiled to each other before they entered. A short while later, Shinji and Asuka each emerged in their all too familiar plugsuits, and smiled at each other again.

"Déjà vu." Asuka said as they began walking towards the Cage.

"How so?" Shinji asked.

"Well, I'm remembering how jealous I used to be of you as a pilot." Asuka said. "And how much I hated you for your natural talent."

"Asuka I was never the better pilot." Shinji replied.

"Well, I know that now." Asuka retorted. "Still… it's weird to be up against another Angel, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah." Shinji replied. "We're a bit out of practice." Shinji sighed. "Do you really think we can do this?"

"You've been training for three years, what do you think?" Asuka asked sarcastically.

"I don't know Asuka, that's why I was asking you." Shinji said. "You were always so reassuring in situations like this."

"Suck up." Asuka said as she kissed Shinji on the cheek. "I mean, as long as I don't get mauled to death, and you don't accidently restart the apocalypse in some fugue state, we should be perfectly fine…" Asuka said.

"That wasn't very reassuring…" Shinji said.

"Hey, the last time we did this was not our most successful battle." Asuka said. "But we'll just need to be careful and then show this Angel it came to the wrong fucking city." Asuka smiled. "Besides, we'll be out there together, between the two of us, we can handle anything."

"But we still don't know anything about the Angel." Shinji replied.

"So, when has that stopped us in the past?" Asuka asked. "I'm not happy about it, but you were right, we have to protect everyone. Don't be a quitter now."

"I'm not… I'm just nervous." Shinji said. "I'm… I'm not used to the responsibility anymore." Shinji sighed. "And there are so many more people here now… the risks are even greater than before."

"So, we kill the Angel and make sure it regrets its decision to show its ugly shell." Asuka said as they reached the door to the Cage.

"Well this is it." Asuka said as they entered and looked at their Evangelions.

"Yeah…" Shinji replied. "Be careful."

"You too, baka." Asuka said with a smile as she walked toward Unit–02.

–––

Back in the Command Center, things were running as smoothly as they could. With the Angel getting even closer, and everyone a bit out of practice, there was a level of panic in the room.

"Hyuga, how's the evacuation?" Misato asked.

"All the block captains report that everyone has been moved to safety." Hyuga said. "Setting the city to battle configuration now."

As Hyuga initiated the sequence, they heard a rumbling above them as Tokyo–3's buildings sunk gracefully into the ground.

"Well… glad that still works." Misato said. "Aoba, any luck in contacting the JSSDF?"

"Still working on it ma'am." Aoba replied. "Appears they're in a bit of a panic."

"Can't imagine why…" Misato said sarcastically. "Angel's ETA?"

"ETA now stands at thirty–five minutes." Hyuga said. "Drones are being prepped to observe the battle more closely."

"Ok, plenty of time." Misato said calmly.

"That's not a lot of time at all!" Yuki said. "The Evangelions won't be able to intercept the Angel in time!"

"And what's the basis for that conclusion, lady?" Mari asked.

"Field reports…" Yuki replied.

"Wow, do you have your head up your ass, or are you just naturally this naïve?" Mari asked.

"I'm not naïve!" Yuki replied angrily.

"Could have fooled me." Mari quipped.

"Ok, enough Mari, she's not worth your time." Misato said coldly.

"Sure, whatever." Mari said. "She wasn't any fun anyway."

"Maya, is everything ready down there?" Misato asked.

" _Yes, Colonel._ " Maya replied. " _The kids are in their Entry Plugs, and we're ready to transfer launch control to the Command Center._ "

"Will you be joining us?" Misato asked.

"No ma'am." Maya replied. " _I want to see what they look like up close when they launch._ "

"Alright, transfer control when ready to Sumire." Misato said.

" _It's done, Colonel._ " Maya replied. " _Good luck._ "

"Sumire?" Misato asked.

"I have control." Sumire asked. "Prepping for simultaneous activation." Sumire sighed. "Signal Termination Plugs have been removed… Entry Plugs being inserted… Entry Plugs are now locked in place." Sumire paused. "Connecting Entry Plugs to the Evangelions… Unit–01 connected… Unit–02 connected… primary connections have been established."

"Flooding Entry Plugs with LCL now… flooding is compete." Sumire checked her screens. "Booting primary systems now… life support online… internal data recorders are running… wireless communications have been established."

"Keep it going, Sumire." Misato said reassuringly. "You're doing well."

"Connecting umbilical cables… all circuits are open and static… internal batteries are fully charged and on standby… Unit–01's S2 Engine is coming online… Unit–02's S2 Engine is coming online… both S2 Engines are stable… power output is optimal and steady."

"Excellent." Misato said.

"Now establishing secondary connections… electrolyzing LCL now… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and nominal… LCL pressure and charge are within normal operating range." Sumire reported. "Configuring language logic interface in Unit–01 for Japanese… configuring language logic interface in Unit–02 for German… all preliminary contacts have now been established… performance is nominal… opening bi–directional circuits… communication with the Entry Plug is open on a two–way secured channel."

"Good job." Misato said. "Shinji, Asuka, can you hear me?"

" _Of course, Misato._ " Shinji said.

" _Yeah, let's get this show on the road._ " Asuka replied.

"Alright." Misato said. "Sumire, continue please."

"Yes, ma'am." Sumire replied. "Bi–directional circuits are now open and transmitting… transmission strength and modulation is within normal parameters… brain wave pattern and harmonics are normal… Shinji's life signs are normal and showing elevated signs of stress… synchronization ratio is at 150% and steady… Asuka's life signs are optimal and are also showing some signs of stress… her synchronization ratio is 112% and… steady."

"Nice job, Asuka." Misato said proudly.

" _Thanks, Misato._ " Asuka replied.

"Their nerve connections are in sync with each other… nerve connections are established through 1890… 1960… 2340… 2500…2590… clear to 2760… 3110… absolute borderline in 90… 60… 40… 10… absolute borderline passed… nerve connections now connected through 3510 and active… Evangelion Unit–01 and Evangelion Unit–02 are now online."

"Excellent." Misato said calmly. "Begin launch sequence."

"Aren't you rushing things a bit, Colonel?"

"We don't exactly have time to waste, _Chief Inspector_ …" Misato replied sarcastically. "Sumire, please continue with the launch sequence." Misato ordered.

"Understood." Sumire replied. "Beginning launch sequence now… releasing primary lock bolts… primary lock blots released… retracting umbilical bridge… disengaging secondary lock bolts… releasing safety locks 1 through 15… all safety locks have been released, Unit–01 and Unit–02 are free from lockdown and ready for transfer."

"Arming each Evangelion with Pallet Rifles." Hyuga said. "More weapons are prepped for immediate deployment in the area of operation."

"Moving Unit–01 and Unit–02 to launch positions one and two." Sumire said.

As both Unit–01 and Unit–02 began to move towards their launch positions, the Evangelions rocked slightly. As the pads locked in place, the lock bolts sealed around the bases the Evangelions were standing on as the doors above them began opening.

"Launch pad locked in place… disconnecting umbilical cables… S2 Engines now running without external support or control… closest intercept point has been selected… launch path is clear and open… all systems online… verified all systems online… board is green." Maya reported. "Evangelion Unit–01 and Evangelion Unit–02 are cleared for launch at your discretion, Colonel."

"Are you ready kids?" Misato asked.

" _No, why don't we hold back till the Angel is on top of us?_ " Asuka replied sarcastically.

" _Yeah, Misato, that's kind of a stupid question._ " Shinji added.

"You waked into that one, miso." Mari said.

"Fine, you're armed, and we'll have more weapons for you if you need them." Misato said. "Now I'm ordering you to be careful, don't take unnecessary risks. We can't… I mean… I want you both back here safe and in one piece, got it?"

" _Yes, mom._ " Asuka replied.

" _We'll do our best._ " Shinji replied.

"Good…" Misato began.

"Hold off on the launch." Yuki said.

"Why the hell would I do that?" Misato asked.

"You don't have the intel from the JSSDF and I'm not sanctioning the launch." Yuki said.

" _Misato, what's the hold up?_ " Shinji asked.

" _Yeah, I want to get this shit over with!_ " Asuka grumbled.

"Bureaucratic bullshit." Misato said. "Sumire, get ready."

"Colonel, I expressly forbid this action!" Yuki said as commandingly as she could.

"Seriously?" Misato asked. "The city where the U.N. is based is a smoldering crater, and you're giving me orders? This is n emergency situation, and I'm using my judgement and experience to launch these Evangelions."

"If you do that, I will make sure you are stripped from command, Colonel!" Yuki threatened.

"If we can't stop this Angel, there won't be anyone left to strip the command from." Misato said solemnly. "Alright… Sumire."

"Ready ma'am." Sumire said.

"Colonel, I must protest!" Yuki said. "This requires authorization from the Security Council!"

"For all we know, they're dead and gone." Misato said.

"Yeah shut up so they can stop this thing!" Mari said angrily.

"Yes, please let them do their jobs." Rei added.

"Evangelion Unit–01… Evangelion Unit–02… LAUNCH!" Misato ordered.

–––

The pair of Evangelions emerged at the north end of the city. Asuka had forgotten the rush she felt when getting launched towards the surface, and could feel the adrenaline rushing through her body. She looked over and saw Unit–01 to her left, standing with its rifle by its side and looking out into the distance.

" _Asuka, I don't see the Angel._ " Shinji said.

"That's because it's not close enough to see yet." Asuka replied. "Right, Misato?"

" _Yeah, it's still a couple miles out._ " Misato replied. " _Go and meet it. You're not restrained by the umbilicals anymore, you're free to roam._ "

" _Well, this is nice._ " Shinji said. " _One less thing to worry about._ "

"Yeah, cut cables can be a real killer…" Asuka muttered until something dawned on her. "Hey Misato, what about the ammo drops?" Asuka asked.

" _VTOLs can drop you fresh Pallet Rifles._ " Misato said. " _So you should be al set in that regard._ "

"Ok, so where are we headed then?" Asuka asked.

" _North northwest._ " Misato replied. " _Should be no more than a few klicks out._ "

"Thanks." Asuka replied as Unit–01 began to jog away. "Hey, wait for me!"

" _This is different._ " Shinji said unaware that he had left Unit–02 behind. " _We never really practiced jogging._ "

"Well, you're making me run to catch up, baka!" Asuka cried. "Slow down for a second!"

" _Sorry._ " Shinji said as Unit–01 stopped.

As Asuka caught up to Unit–01, she punched it lightly on the shoulder. "That's for making me run, baka." Asuka grumbled.

" _I said sorry._ " Shinji replied.

"Still, you're making me look bad out here." Asuka said. "What if someone's watching?"

" _If they are, they'd be pretty stupid._ " Sumire said.

" _Well, Toji and Kensuke did once._ " Shinji said.

"Yeah, and didn't you have to save their asses?" Asuka asked.

" _Sort of proves my point._ " Sumire quipped.

" _Guys, focus._ " Misato said. " _I know it's been a while, but you've done this enough, there's no excuse for goofing off._ "

"Yes, ma'am." Asuka replied sarcastically. "Come on Shinji, let's move out."

" _Right behind you, Asuka._ " Shinji replied as they both set off at a jogging pace.

"Wow, you're right, this is weird." Asuka said. "I think we've only done walking or running." Asuka smirked. "Or in your case, breaking the sound barrier."

" _I think I had a tail wind._ " Shinji said.

"Don't be so modest." Asuka said. "You really did a good job holding up Sahaquiel all by yourself."

" _Someone had to._ " Shinji joked.

"Well, some of us weren't the closest ones to the thing." Asuka retorted. "You had an unfair advantage."

" _Excuses, excuses._ " Shinji replied.

" _Are you two there yet?_ " Misato asked. " _I mean if you're not too busy reminiscing that is._ "

"Not yet." Asuka said as they came to the top of a hill. "Wait… hold on a second… I think I see it, Misato. Jesus this thing is ugly…"

Down in the valley below them was Iblis. He was a massive tortoise looking creature, with a large pale blue shell, reminiscent of Rei's hair color, which had three large, blunt, spikes sticking out from it. The shell itself looked very think, almost like it was made of steel, and it was at least as tall as an Evangelion, perhaps even taller. On the front of the shell was a design that looked like an eye with a black pupil and yellow iris and the sclera matching the color of the shell. Iblis had only two legs, on either side of his head. Each one had three massive silvery claws, with a fourth claw protruding from the ankle. Then there was the Iblis's head, which was nothing more than a mouth with a tongue that had Iblis's eye attached to it. The exposed flesh of the head and legs was a darker blue than the shell, and looked quite vulnerable compared to the shell. Finally Iblis's tail looked armored, and had the same coloring as the shell. It had armored joints that allowed it to move, and three finger like prongs at the end which were holding quite surprisingly, what looked like its Core. He didn't move very fast, but with how heavy the shell looked, it wasn't much of a surprise.

" _What are you… that's the Angel?_ " Shinji replied. " _Wow, it is ugly._ "

"I know, what mutant cesspool did it crawl out of?" Asuka joked.

" _It's certainly freakier looking than any of the others we've seen._ " Shinji quipped.

" _And this one even wiped out a whole city._ " Misato said sarcastically. " _Come on, stop acting like silly teenagers and focus. That's an order!_ "

"We get it Misato." Asuka said. "Shinji, any ideas?"

" _Other than deploying our A.T. Fields, I've got nothing._ " Shinji said. " _I mean… maybe flank it or something?_ "

"Yeah, one of us distracts it from the front, while the other comes in from behind." Asuka said. "Cause it looks like its Core is on its tail… weird…"

" _Yeah, that doesn't see right._ " Misato said. " _Aoba, is the drone in place? I need you to confirm where the Core is._ "

" _We're on site._ " Aoba replied. " _They're right, the Core does look like it's on the tail… it seems… too easy._ "

" _A.T. Field strength is hard to determine at this time, but if I had to guess, it'd be below average._ " Hyuga said. " _It's not registering very much on the sensors._ "

" _Below average A.T. Field versus two Evangelions…_ " Misato muttered. " _This does seem too easy… way too easy…_ "

" _If it looks too easy, than it must be too easy._ " Shinji said.

"Look, we won't know unless we try, baka." Asuka said.

" _Princess, listen to him._ " Mari said. " _Don't be reckless._ "

"I'm not being reckless, I'm being proactive." Asuka said. "What has all our fighting Angels taught us? Brute strength is the best way to go."

" _I know, but do you want to risk an all out attack right off?_ " Shinji asked.

"I would like to finish this quickly." Asuka said. "I'd rather be doing something… no… anything else besides this."

" _Fine, I'll be the bait, you come around and shoot the Core._ " Shinji said. " _Just try not to shoot me._ "

"Well… I'll do my best." Asuka joked. "It's been a while since I fired a real rifle after all."

" _Oh great, friendly fire…_ " Shinji muttered. " _I say we put off deploying our A.T. Fields to full strength till we're on top of it._ "

"Well yours will be way stronger than- mine." Asuka replied. "The plan works for me."

" _Well, it doesn't for me._ " Misato replied. " _Think of a different plan._ "

"No time." Asuka said as she braced herself against her control yokes. "Shinji, go."

" _Right._ " Shinji replied as Unit–01 charged down the hill towards Iblis. As Unit–01 charged, Asuka snuck around and out of sight of the Angel to flank it, and hopefully get a clear shot at its Core. As Unit–02 got into position, Asuka could see Unit–01 expanding its A.T. Field, causing that familiar red glow to cover the area. Iblis didn't seem to be effected by that at all, and stood its ground as Unit–01 kept it distracted by firing short bursts at its shell and legs. The bullets ricocheted off the shell, going off in all directions, with several hitting Unit–02 by mistake.

"Jesus, Shinji, be more careful. Aim for the fucking flesh, not the armor." Asuka muttered. "That shit hurts."

" _Sorry, I wasn't trying to hit you._ " Shinji said.

"Just get the damn thing to turn so I can shoot it dead." Asuka said.

" _I know that Asuka, but it doesn't move fast._ " Shinji said.

"Well, piss it off!" Asuka said impatiently.

" _Alright._ " Shinji said. " _Here goes nothing._ "

Unit–01 fired the Pallet Rifle right at Iblis's mouth and eye, scoring two hits on his neck, causing the Angel to scream out in agony.

" ** _SSKKKKRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEE!_** " Iblis roared as he turned to face Unit–01.

"Nicely done, baka." Asuka said as Iblis moved towards Unit–01, snapping its jaw as blood poured out of his neck. "Now just get it to move a little to your left…"

" _I know, Asuka._ " Shinji said as Unit–02 got ready to strike. " _I can see your bright red EVA you know._ "

"Oh, shut up." Asuka said as she took aim. "A.T. Field to maximum in 3… 2… 1…" The ground around Unit–02 erupted in the same red glow that surrounded Unit–01, catching Iblis in between their powerful A.T. Fields. Asuka held her breath for a moment and squeezed her trigger, letting off a stream of rounds aimed right at Iblis's tail. "Now fucking die you bastard!"

As the bullets got near the Core, they made contact with Iblis's own A.T. Field, which was collapsed to protect only his Core. The bullets, even though they were designed to penetrate A.T. Fields, struggled to cut through, and simply fell to the ground.

"Son of a bitch!" Asuka said. "That should have worked!"

" _It should of, but when the bullets hit, the Angel's A.T. Field responded by getting proportionately strong enough to block the shots!_ " Sumire replied.

"Bullshit!" Asuka shouted as she fired again, emptying her clip towards Iblis's backside, all for the bullets to either bounce off the shell, chipping it slightly, or to fall, useless to the ground after hitting Iblis's A.T. Field. "Why is this shit always so difficult!"

" _Because Angels are unpredictable Asuka!_ " Shinji replied as Unit–01 jumped backwards to avoid being bitten by Iblis.

"So, do we have another plan?" Asuka asked.

" _Misato, what about Maya's experimental weapons?_ " Shinji asked.

"What weapons?" Asuka asked.

" _Oh, just some designs she slapped together from some data she got while the Gundams were here._ " Misato said casually.

"So, are those weapons usable?" Asuka asked.

" _Not yet._ " Misato replied. " _The only upgrades she's gotten done are the new thrusters in your shoulder pylons._ "

"What's so special about that?" Asuka asked.

" _They're powered solely by your S2 Engines._ " Misato replied. " _But what Shinji's talking about isn't ready quite yet.._ "

" _What about the Positron Rifle?_ " Shinji asked. " _Can we use that?_ "

" _Hold on…_ " Misato said. " _Yeah, Maya says its been modified to feed off an S2 Engine._ "

"There's a catch, isn't there…" Asuka muttered.

" _We need about ten minutes to get it out to you, so we're going to drop some fresh weapons for you to hold the Angel off with._ " Misato explained.

"What exactly are you dropping?" Asuka asked.

" _Four Pallet Rifles, two Gatling Guns, and two rocket launchers to use at your discretion, which should be arriving any second now._ " Misato said as Asuka heard the sound of VTOLs approaching. " _Try not to get killed, alright?_ "

"We'll do our best." Asuka said. "Shinji, pass me your rifle and go grab those crates!"

" _Be careful, Asuka!_ " Shinji replied as Unit–01 tossed its rifle over Iblis to Unit–02 and ran off after the passing VTOLs.

"Ok, I hope this works…" Asuka muttered as she took aim again. "Hey ugly, come get me!" Asuka let off a burst of rounds that his Iblis's left leg, causing him to slowly turn around and face Unit–02. "That's right you bastard, here I am."

Asuka slowly guided Iblis towards her, using her ammo sparingly so she didn't run out before Shinji returned. Even though her shooting was to minimal effect, she still aimed at Iblis's fleshy bits to maximize the damage she could do.

"This is annoying as fuck!" Asuka shouted. "Shinji, hurry up already, I'm running low on ammo!" Asuka fired her last burst of ammo at Iblis, and then threw the rifle at his head. "Anytime would be great!"

" _I'm right here!_ " Shinji said as Unit–01 came up from behind Unit–02 with two crates. " _Do you want the rocket launchers or the rifles?_ "

"What about the Gatling Guns?" Asuka asked.

" _Why not save those for when I'm setting up the Positron Rifle?_ " Shinji suggested.

"Shit, that's a good plan." Asuka said. "Rocket launchers, baka."

Unit–01 opened one of the crates and tossed both rocket launches towards Unit–02. " _Let's see how much damage we can do to it._ " Shinji said as Unit–01 picked up a pair of pallet rifles and took aim along with Unit–02.

"Well, don't aim for the shell." Asuka said Unit–01 took position right next to Unit–02. "Aim for the eye, let's blind it."

" _Right._ " Shinji replied as the pair of them opened fire.

Unit–01 fired directly at Iblis's eye, cutting his head and legs to shreds with the heavy stream of armor piercing bullets. Unit–02 on the other hand fired at the shell to see if it could be cracked open, which after several successive missile hits in the same general area, the shell had a deep crater in it, and had begun to crack. Unit–01 dropped its empty Pallet Rifles and picked up the second set, and continued firing on Iblis's exposed flesh. Iblis, rather later than would be expected, retraced his bloodied limbs into his shell, leaving only the armored tail swaying in the wind.

"Shit, I'm out of ammo." Asuka said as she saw blood begin to drip from the cracks in the shell. "And we're so close."

" _I'm out of ammo too._ " Shinji said as Unit–01 reached down and grabbed one of the Gatling guns. " _Here, aim for the shell._ "

"Where are you going?" Asuka asked.

Unit–01 pointed up at the sky, and Asuka saw a VTOL with the Positron Rifle hanging beneath it. " _I have to go get that._ "

" _So you can see it?_ " Misato asked.

" _Yes, I can see it._ " Shinji replied. " _How do I detach it?_ "

" _Just release the harness._ " Misato replied.

" _Right._ " Shinji said as Unit–01 moved to follow the VTOL a safe distance away.

"So, you're all mine again bitch." Asuka said. "Time to shoot you till the white meat shows." Unit–02 opened fire with the Gatling Gun, striking the crater with every shot she fired. After Asuka poured the whole clip into Iblis's shell, it finally fractured and blood sprayed everywhere as Iblis's tail twitched wildly as if he were in extreme pain.

"Holy shit, it worked." Asuka said as she watched blood pool around the Angel. However, what Asuka didn't notice was that the sclera on the shell's eye was changing color. "Hey Shinji, don't worry about that Positron Rifle, I got it to bleed after all!"

" _Asuka, we still have to take out its Core before it can heal._ " Shinji said as Unit–01 took position on the hill above Iblis and Unit–02. " _Asuka, you may want to move before I take the shot. I don't want you to get hurt._ "

"Yeah, yeah." Asuka said. "Let me grab the other Gatling Gun before you get all heroic and go saving the day again."

Unit–02 moved quickly to grab the still loaded Gatling Gun and took up a position on a different hill than Unit–01, overlooking both of them. "Ok baka, do your thing."

" _Shinji, you only have the one fuse cap, so make sure you aim carefully._ " Misato said.

" _I got it, Misato._ " Shinji replied. " _This isn't my first time doing this._ "

" _Shinji, set compensation for gravity, rotation, and magnetic field at +0.0009._ " Hyuga said.

" _Got it._ " Shinji replied as Asuka watched as Unit–01 sat down and leaned back with the Positron Rifle against her chest, and took carful aim. " _Manual aiming online… Core is in sight…_ " Shinji muttered. " _Capacitors at 100%… ready to fire…_ "

"Well, what are you waiting for, baka!" Asuka asked impatiently. "Finish this!"

" _Yippie–Ki–Yay, Motherfucker!_ " Shinji shouted as he pulled the trigger.

The Positron Rifle's barrel erupted with a bright burst of green light, firing its massive, crackling beam right at Iblis's Core. As the beam reached the Core, it looked like a direct hit, but Iblis was still there when the shot dissipated.

"What the fuck?!" Asuka shouted. "That was a direct hit!"

" _What happened?!_ " Misato asked. " _Why is the Angel still there?!_ "

" _I did hit it, right?_ " Shinji asked.

" _Yes, but where did all that energy go?_ " Rei asked. " _It… it shouldn't be possible._ "

Just as they were discussing what happened to the energy, and were distracted by the fact Iblis was still alive, Iblis retracted his tail into his shell while the eye symbol on his shell began to glow brightly. The spikes on the shell began to glow white. As they gathered a massive ball of energy between them, the sky started to turn black, and electrical discharges shot off from the ball as it got steadily larger.

"What the fuck…" Asuka said as she noticed the bright light from the energy collecting on Iblis's shell. "Uh… Misato…"

" _What?_ " Misato asked as the ball of energy pulsed three times, and Iblis released the energy and everything turned to white.

–––

In the Command Center, all the that they could feel was the entire base shaking, and they were blinded by the video feeds all turning into but bright white, then turned into nothing but static.

"What the fuck was that?!" Misato shouted as the light dissipated. "Someone, give me something!"

"Massive power spike from the Angel!" Sumire replied. "It put out a huge burst of power in all directions!"

"Damage is contained within the valley they were in." Hyuga said. "MAGI estimate blast strength in the 100 megaton range, with most of the energy being shot up and away from anything important."

"What about the Evangelions!" Misato asked.

"What about Asuka and onii–chan?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, are they alive or what?" Mari asked.

"We can't tell." Aoba said. "We have no telemetry from the Evangelions."

"Why not?" Misato asked.

"The blast knocked them out." Aoba replied. "I'm trying to restore them now."

"This is why you needed to hold back until we had more information, Colonel!" Yuki said admonishingly. "Had you waited, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Had I waited, the Angel would have done that inside the city, and even this city can't withstand a 100 megaton blast!" Misato exclaimed.

"You should have waited for the intel from the JSSDF!" Yuki retorted. "Then you could have learned from their mistakes!"

"They're idiots, and they attacked with N2 Bombs, which we know can't do anything with an A.T. Field."

"Well… if the Angel exploded with 100 megatons of power from the Positron Rifle, what would it have done with the force of four N2 Bombs?" Hyuga asked.

"Well, whatever it did, it leveled Tokyo–2." Misato replied.

"And the U.N. with it." Yuki replied.

"Good riddance." Misato retorted. "Their oversight wasn't much help the last time around, I'm shocked that it's still not doing anything now."

"Colonel, we need to focus." Maya said as she entered the Command Center. "Chief Inspector, perhaps you should leave."

"I'm not going anywhere, it is my duty…" Yuki began.

"Then at least be quiet and let the rest of us think in peace." Maya said.

"So, do you have anything?" Misato asked.

"Well… I have a few guesses, but that's it." Maya replied.

"Don't hold back now." Misato implored. "Anything to go on would be useful."

"Well, while we were waiting for the JSSDF to get off their asses, I got a report from someone, a friend, in Atsugi who confirmed that four N2 Bombs were dropped just outside Tokyo–2. The JSSDF figured that the improved bombs would do the trick, and they wouldn't need to involve us at all." Maya explained.

"Well, that worked well, then, didn't it?" Mari quipped.

"Anyway, I did a bit of digging, and some seismometers registered the blast at a 10 on the Richter scale and I was able to pinpoint ground zero." Maya continued.

"Where was ground zero?" Yuki asked.

"Two miles from the city, and from the data I found, I was able to calculate that the blast that hit Tokyo–2 was in the gigaton range." Maya replied. "But there was flat land there, so the blast had nothing natural or otherwise to deflect it, it just ripped through the city unabated, crating… well, you saw…"

"Yeah, we saw…" Yuki muttered.

"How powerful was it exactly…?" Misato asked.

"1.21 gigatons." Maya replied. "Give or take a few hundred megatons."

"Fuck…" Mari muttered. "That's… how do you stop that?"

"Well, it appears that the Angel reflects back directed energy attacks." Maya said. "I don't know if it can convert all kinds of kinetic energy into this attack, but whatever is thrown at it will come back to bite us. The Angel's just a big capacitor."

"This is different." Misato said. "Anything we attack it with puts us all in danger."

"And I doubt those hills could deflect a blast again considering the blast power we just recorded." Maya said.

"Speaking of, do we have visual yet?" Misato asked.

"We lost the drones, I'm launching the backups now." Hyuga replied.

"Good." Misato said. "So… any ideas?"

"Maya, you said something about the hills deflecting the blast?" Mari asked.

"Yeah, the natural curvature forced the blast upwards." Maya replied.

"Could an A.T. Field do that?" Mari asked.

"I guess… I mean if it could stand up to the blast it could… in theory anyway." Maya replied. "Why?"

"Yeah, but can it reflect the blast back onto the Angel?" Mari asked.

"Mari, what are you asking exactly?" Misato asked.

"What if Shinji and Asuka could form their A.T. Fields to contain the blast and hold in the explosive force from the Angel causing the Angel to be vaporized or something." Mari explained. "Use the Angel's power against it _as_ the weapon to kill it."

"How would that work exactly?" Yuki asked.

"We attack with something that makes a big boom, and the Angel takes a minute to charge up and explode, right?" Mari said excitedly. "So when the Angel does its exploding thing, the energy from its blast is bounced right back onto itself."

"But what if that feeds the Angel more power in return?" Rei asked.

"Either way, I think the Angel could only hold so much potential energy before it would explode from the stress." Maya said. "Capacitors have limits. And its A.T. Field isn't that strong… it's the weakest we've encountered thus far. It should collapse under the stress."

"That's an insane plan." Yuki said.

"Well, it's no different than "catch the Angel with your hands," right miso?" Mari joked.

"She's got me there." Misato replied.

"So, is this how you solved the Angel problem the last time?" Yuki asked. "Inane and insane plans that could get people killed?"

"Well, in all honesty… yes." Misato replied.

"And we were more than willing to fight." Rei said quietly.

"Most of the time." Mari added.

"Who would want to fight like this?" Yuki asked. "How you all survived is a miracle!"

"Divine intervention tends to do that." Mari joked.

"This isn't the time for jokes, Mari." Misato said sternly.

"Ease up, miso." Mari said. "We still have to find out if they're alive before we jump start this plan of ours anyway."

"It's a plan, but will it work?" Misato said.

"And will Asuka and onii–chan agree to it?" Rei added.

"Well, in theory, Shinji and Asuka's A.T. Fields are extremely powerful with their sync scores being so high… but they'd be under a great deal of stress… and the EVAs would probably need extensive repairs."

"We can't lose both Evangelions!" Yuki shouted. "They're or only line of defense if this happens again!"

"Why don't you tell the JSSDF that?" Misato said sarcastically. "Personally, I'm fine with the plan, but both Asuka and Shinji have to agree to it. They're the ones sticking their necks out against this Angel."

"Yeah, but are they ok to keep fighting?" Mari asked.

"We should know soon enough." Misato said. "Right people?"

"Ma'am, the new drones will be in position in a moment and I'm trying to reestablish contact now." Hyuga replied.

"Good." Misato said. "As soon as we get them back online, Mari, tell them the plan."

"Why me?" Mari asked.

"You came up with it, you explain it." Misato replied.

"Fine… whatever…" Mari grumbled.

–––

Unit–01 was lying on its stomach after being blown off the hill by Iblis's explosion. Shinji was knocked out for a few minutes from the force of the blast, and as Shinji slowly recovered from the blast and woke back up, he looked around him and saw the Positron Rifle lying several hundred feet away, looking scratched up, but otherwise unharmed. Shinji then though to check out his own body. He didn't feel like he was bleeding, he had certainly been injured enough to recognize the feeling of exsanguination, but he somehow miraculously fine. Shinji slowly eased Unit–01 up into a standing position and saw he was facing away from the blast zone, having been flipped end over end when Iblis exploded. Shinji turned around, expecting to see nothing but a pile of blood and some broken shell, but was met with the worst sight imaginable, a fully healed Iblis standing in a smoldering crater, stomping his clawed feet angrily and swinging his tail wildly.

"How is that even possible…?" Shinji muttered in utter disbelief. "It should be dead… right?" Shinji looked around and saw that Unit–02 was also on its feet and he tapped a few buttons on his control yokes to contact Asuka.

"Asuka, are you ok?" Shinji asked worriedly.

" _I'm fine, baka._ " Asuka replied. " _But what the fuck is this thing made of anyway?_ " Asuka asked. " _It exploded and then healed itself? What a fucking cheat!_ "

"I don't think it exploded, I think it attacked us." Shinji replied.

" _But all it did before was hiss and try to bite us!_ " Asuka replied angrily. " _And it's not like you missed it or anything! How did it attack us?!_ "

"I've got about as good an idea as you do, Asuka." Shinji replied calmly. "But that blast was powerful, wasn't it?"

" _Yeah… I can see how it took out an entire city like that._ " Asuka replied. " _We're totally fucked, aren't we?_ "

"I don't think so." Shinji said. "Well… maybe a little fucked."

" _Great, so what do we do?_ " Asuka asked. " _We can't fight it, we don't have much ammo left, and I doubt the Prog Knives will be much good against that shell._ "

"And if we get too close, the Angel bite and scratch us." Shinji said. "So, I guess we just wait and try to keep it away from the city."

" _Yeah, but how far away?_ " Asuka asked. " _If it can attack like that, there isn't much we can do to stop it._ "

"But why did it wait so long to attack?" Shinji asked.

" _You've got me._ " Asuka replied.

" _Shinji, Asuka, do you copy?_ " Misato said worriedly. " _Guys, can you hear me, please respond._ "

"Misato?" Shinji said.

" _Do you know what this thing did?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Yes we do, and you're both lucky to be ok._ " Misato said. " _How do you feel?_ "

"Tired." Shinji replied.

" _Annoyed._ " Asuka grumbled.

" _Well, while we were trying to get a handle on things, we… or I should say, Mari, came up with a plan._ " Misato said.

"So you know why it attacked like that?" Shinji asked.

" _Well, we have an idea, Shinji._ " Maya replied. " _We're not certain of anything yet, but from what we've found out, it's a pretty good guess._ "

" _So, how did it attack us?_ " Asuka asked impatiently.

" _It's A.T. Field reacts to being attacked._ " Maya explained. " _It then stores that energy and sends it back out, tenfold._ "

"So we can't just attack it." Shinji said.

" _Actually, that's exactly what we want you to do._ " Misato said. " _Mari, explain your plan._ "

" _Wait a second._ " Asuka said. " _It can shoot back everything we throw at it and more, and you want us to keep fighting it?!_ "

" _Yes._ " Misato said. " _Mari, explain, now._ "

" _Right, so uh… how are you guys?_ " Mari asked.

"I'm fine, Mari." Shinji said.

" _Just tell us the plan, four eyes._ " Asuka said impatiently. " _I'd like to get out of this plugsuit._ "

" _So the plan is that we're gonna nuke the Angel like the JSSDF did while you trap it inside your A.T. Fields._ " Mari explained. " _And while it shoots the energy back at you, you keep it encapsulated inside your A.T. Fields till its own explosion disintegrates it._ "

" _That's ridiculous._ " Asuka said. " _Not as ridiculous as catching an Angel falling from the sky with your hands, but it's a close second._ "

"Yeah, Mari, that'll never work." Shinji added. "What if we can't contain it? Then it'll be Tokyo–3 that gets destroyed."

" _I ran some numbers guys._ " Maya said. " _Your A.T. Fields are powerful enough to keep the explosion of four more N2 Bombs at bay, and then you should be able to hold back the Angel's explosive power._ "

" _Should?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Well, you know nothing's certain._ " Maya said. " _Especially with Angels._ "

" _So, what do you think guys?_ " Misato asked. " _Can you handle this plan?_ "

"How are you getting the N2 Bombs out here?" Shinji asked. "Isn't the JSSDF out of commission?"

" _We have our own stockpile of warheads._ " Misato said. " _We'll use some VTOLs, they don't have to worry about escaping the blast zone._ "

" _Because we're acting like shield generators?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Basically._ " Misato replied. " _So, what do you say?_ "

" _Well, it's not the dumbest plan ever._ " Asuka said. " _And Maya, you think Mari's crazy ass plan could work?_ "

" _Yes, I do._ " Maya said.

" _Then I'm in I guess._ " Asuka said.

"So am I." Shinji replied.

" _Good._ " Misato replied.

"So, how long do we wait?" Shinji asked.

" _Not too long, the VTOLs should be there any minute._ " Misato replied. " _So you may want to get into position._ "

"You deployed them before we agreed?" Shinji asked.

" _Well, I did listen to Asuka's complaints._ " Misato said. " _I didn't want to drag this out any longer than it needed to be._ "

" _Fine, so what do we do?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Get on either side of the Angel, preferably from the sides so it can't attack you both directly._ " Maya explained. " _Then power your A.T. Fields up to full power and try to contour them together into a wall. Once we drop the N2 Bombs, you'll have until the Angel's about to counter attack to form the dome._ "

"Wait, can the A.T. Fields hold up to that many explosions?" Shinji asked.

" _Yes._ " Maya replied. " _The excess force will be directed up and away from you._ "

" _How long do we have to make this happen?_ " Asuka asked. " _And what happens if we can't do it?_ "

" _You'll have maybe thirty seconds, maybe a bit more._ " Maya replied.

" _And if you fail, Tokyo–3 will be destroyed._ " Misato added.

" _Good, definitely needed to be reminded of that…_ " Asuka said.

" _Well, no pressure, but you're under a time crunch._ " Misato said. " _VTOLs will be with you in two minutes, you need to go trap the Angel, now._ "

"Right." Shinji replied as Unit–01 began to move into the crater.

" _We're doing right here?_ " Asuka asked.

"Why not, the Angel hasn't moved at all." Shinji said. "It just keeps glaring at us."

" _Fine, let's get this over with…_ " Asuka muttered. " _So, baka, any idea how we do this?_ "

"Well, we just need to focus." Shinji said. "Think of something that motivates you."

" _Wait, focusing is it?_ " Asuka asked. " _Seriously?_ "

"It's worked for me before." Shinji replied.

" _Fine, you take the right side, I'll take the left._ " Asuka said.

"Yeah, let's do this." Shinji said as the pair of Evangelions took their positions.

Iblis watched as Unit–01 took up position on his right side, while Unit–02 took up position on the left. They stood across from each other and slowly stretched out their arms. Unit–01 clenched its fists and began to glow red as its A.T. Field materialized in front of it, its orange octagonal shape curving around Iblis, doing its best to contain the Angel. But nothing happened with Unit–02, it was just standing there.

"Asuka, you have to focus!" Shinji said.

" _I don't know how, baka!_ " Asuka snapped back. " _I've never made my A.T. Field appear like this before!_ "

"You need to focus!" Shinji said. "Think of all the people that are going to die if you don't do this! Focus on that and visualize trapping this thing behind a wall!"

" _How am I supposed to focus on that?!_ " Asuka asked angrily.

"I can't do this without you, Asuka!" Shinji shouted. "And if you don't do this, I'm going to die! Think about that, focus on that! I'm going to die if you don't do something!"

Shinji saw as Unit–02's A.T. Field appeared, flickering at first, and then coming fully into being, with its octagonal form merging with Unit–01's creating a cylinder around Iblis. Iblis snapped at their A.T. Fields, trying to break through, but he was thoroughly trapped inside.

" _VTOLs in fifteen seconds._ " Misato relayed.

As the Evangelions held back Iblis, four VTOLs came into view. They were flying in a line, one after another. Each one had an N2 Bomb hanging from underneath it, and as they got to their drop point, each bomb was released within seconds of each other, and they dropped in a straight line, right towards Iblis. Iblis looked up and saw them coming, reacting by withdrawing into his shell, bracing for the onslaught. As the bombs exploded in unison, the area around both Evangelions was illuminated bright yellow by the blast. The excess energy shot straight into the air, creating a mushroom cloud over the two of them. Shinji however couldn't see anything in front of him, but could feel the pressure of the explosions pushing against his A.T. Field. The light slowly diminished, and he could see Iblis was still there, but was already charging his attack.

"Asuka, we have to make the dome quick!" Shinji shouted as he began to focus. "The Angel's already started to charge!"

" _I'm not blind, baka!_ " Asuka shouted. " _And I'm going to do this! Just give me a damn minute!_ "

" _Asuka, you don't have a minute!_ " Misato cried.

" _It's a fucking figure of speech!_ " Asuka screamed. " _I'll make the fucking dome!_ "

With Asuka's scream the ground around her began to shake, and the sky began to turn red. Shinji reacted similarly, focusing his own rage into creating his half of the dome, the above Unit–01 also turned red, and Shinji's eyes began to glow red as well. With their A.T. Field dome complete, Shinji braced for what would most likely be a struggle as he watched the ball of energy on Iblis's back grow steadily larger until it was pressing against the top of the dome. The electrical discharges from the great white ball of energy impacted the joint A.T. Field, distorting the A.T. Field temporarily. Just as the ball of energy stopped growing, it pulsed three times, and then exploded with a force greater than anyone expected, fracturing the ground and allowing some of the massive amounts of energy to escape. However, with the majority of the energy still trapped inside, the A.T. Field dome was struggling to hold it all in. The Filed was stretched beyond the confines it had been set up at, and had pushed Unit–01 and Unit–02 several dozen feet back, with each of the pilots struggling to keep their A.T. Field active.

"Asuka… I'm having trouble keeping my A.T. Field up!" Shinji cried.

" _So am I, baka!_ " Asuka replied. " _But if you can't hold yours, I don't have a hope in hell of holding mine!_ "

Their A.T. Fields began to fluctuate wildly, with parts of them thinning enough that loads of energy began to bleed through and threatened to shatter the only thing holding the full force of the explosion back from vaporizing them and Tokyo–3. Shinji's chest felt it was being crushed, and he was starting to have trouble breathing from the pressure being exerted on Unit–01 itself.

"How much longer do we have to hold this?!" Shinji shouted.

" _I don't think I can do this for much longer!_ " Asuka screamed.

" _You need a couple more minutes!_ " Misato relayed. " _You just have to hold on!_ "

" _I can't!_ " Asuka screamed. " _It's too much!_ "

"We need help!" Shinji cried out. "I need help."

" _Help, wo in the hell is going to…?!_ " Asuka began before she fell silent. " _Help me…_ " Asuka muttered. " _…momma…_ "

Unit–01 and Unit–02 began to struggle against their jaw restraints, and had little trouble snapping the bolts holding their mouths closed. As if on command, both Evangelions opened their mouths wide, and let out a power roar in unison.

" ** _ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!_** "

Both Evangelion's A.T. Fields suddenly strengthened and shrunk, tightening their hold on Iblis and further compressing the explosion. The shaking from inside the dome intensified, as Iblis began to disintegrate from the power of his own defensive reaction.

"I think its finally working!" Shinji said happily.

" _Yeah, the light's disappearing!_ " Asuka replied joyously.

As the light within their A.T. Field dome dissipated, they couldn't even make out the shape of Iblis, let alone anything else. When the light finally disappeared, and the ground stopped shaking from the intense blast, there was nothing left inside the dome save for a few pieces of shell, and Iblis's burned out Core. The two Evangelions returned to normal, the sky went back to its usual shade of blue, and their A.T. Fields stopped manifesting in front of them.

" _Wow… it's over._ " Asuka said in disbelief.

"I can't believe that worked." Shinji replied.

" _So, can we go home now?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Asuka, you can't just leave._ " Misato said. " _You need to be debriefed!_ "

" _Watch me._ " Asuka said. " _Come on baka, let's go home._ "

"Yeah…" Shinji muttered as he looked at the remains of Iblis warily.

" _What?_ " Asuka asked. " _I know that tone, you're worried about something for no reason again!_ "

"I'm not worried for no reason." Shinji replied as Unit–01 moved towards Iblis and crushed the remnants of Iblis's Core under its foot. "See, no worries at all."

" _Shinji, we needed to inspect that!_ " Maya said disapprovingly.

"You can study the shards." Shinji replied flippantly.

" _Shinji, the Angel is dead._ " Misato said. " _That was pointless._ "

"Well, I just didn't want it to regrow itself like the last things we dealt with…" Shinji muttered. "Remember those ugly things?"

" _I do._ " Asuka replied. " _But I'd rather forget them right now._ "

" _Fine, we're sending out recovery teams to the area._ " Misato replied. " _You can head back here when you're ready._ "

" _I'm ready now._ " Asuka said. " _Come on, baka, the quicker we get there, the quicker we can get home._ "

"Right behind you, Asuka." Shinji said as he glanced at the shards of Iblis's Core and breathed deeply. "Let's go home."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 150.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 112.0% (New)  
Rei – 12.0% (New)  
Mari – 9.5% (New)

Ok, so to start off with, Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke. Long story short for them, they know almost everything about what happened during the assault on NERV HQ and Third Impact, with some more embarrassing details left out. So, if they seem to know too much, they were told in the intervening three years. Yes, they probably shouldn't all know so much, but Misato doesn't care, she's kinda lax like that.

Now onto the resolution to Kaji's return, it took some doing to find a way for Asuka and Misato to each forgive Shinji for lying, and Kaji for well, hiding himself away. They won't fully forgive Kaji yet mind you, but they at least accept what he did was (in his mind at least) for their safety. Thankfully, Asuka just had to be reminded about how she reacted to Kaworu, and that perhaps she was overblowing everything that happened. As for Misato, she's far more set in hating Kaji because they were in a relationship, which she feels he abandoned. However, Asuka being the one to remind her (after coming around herself) was perfect, because Misato needed to be prodded in such a way to actually admit (much to her own annoyance) that she still loved Kaji, and does in fact want to be with him, even if she's not quite ready for it yet.

Also, in the story, a few of kids reference the Angels by name, rather than number. In the intervening three years, they learned a lot from the red disk Fuyutsuki had given Mari, and also got a lot from Gendo and Ritsuko's personal data files. While the general staff will refer to the Angels by number, the kids and command staff will refer to them by name.

Now to the Angel, Iblis. I chose an Angel that had already been designed for the _NERV White Paper_ , but seeing as we have little evidence as to how the Angel acts, I decided it would be a fun test to see what I would come up with. Now, considering the Iblis looks like a tortoise, I decided that he would not attack directly, but rather react to the attacks coming at him. Thinking about how he would attack brought me to an old Gen I Pokémon move many of us many know (and perhaps hate if you started with Charmander) from Brock's Gym – Bide. Using that concept of absorbing attacks until releasing the stored energy in a devastating explosion led me to have Iblis not only fight the Evangelions, but bring them out reminiscent of Sachiel's attack where JSSDF may as well have been fighting with sticks and rocks. Now, as to Iblis's exact size, as I established in _Gundam Invasion_ , and perhaps previous to that (I honestly can't remember), the Evangelions in the fic are 75 meters tall. So, Iblis's shell is about 90 meters tall to reflect its height difference as being taller than an Evangelion, according to the extra canonical sources for this Angel.

Now, destroying Tokyo–2 was, personally, an interesting choice, but I wanted to show that this Angel (and the rest coming after him) are much more dangerous, and no longer focused solely on Tokyo–3 because Lilith no longer resides in Terminal Dogma. I also wanted to play with the idea of how to kill an Angel without directly attacking it with a weapon, something along the lines of "catch it with your hands, duh" but a bit more advanced to show how far Shinji and Asuka have come as pilots, and to also illustrate that attacking something isn't always for the best.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	5. Chapter 5 – Life's Blood

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 5 – Life's Blood  
April 12, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Grand Hyatt

Yuki was in her hotel room. She was still getting used to being in her new city, which she still wasn't entirely comfortable with yet. It had been two days since Tokyo–2 had been destroyed, and things were in turmoil. She was still shaken from the battle, having seen the destruction wrought on Tokyo–2, having seen the Evangelions launched to intercept the Angel, defending the city from the fate that had befallen Tokyo–2.

So, as she was getting ready for another tense day with Misato, which would inevitably lead to more arguing between them, her phone rang.

"Hello?" Yuki said.

" _Oh, thank god you're alive._ " The voice on the other end of the phone said.

"Mimi!" Yuki said happily. "Why are you calling now all of a sudden?"

" _I heard about Tokyo–2… I wanted… is it true?_ " Mimi asked. " _Are those things back?_ "

"Yes, they are…" Yuki replied. "But why call now? I haven't heard from you in weeks."

" _Well, things have been going badly at home again._ " Mimi replied.

"That shit ass husband of yours?" Yuki asked.

" _Yes, he's been gone for weeks._ " Mimi replied. " _I haven't heard from him at all. He just up and left, and no one's seen him._ "

"I told you not to marry that asshole." Yuki said. "But you were in love or whatever…"

" _Hey, not everyone can be your husband, Yuki._ " Mimi said. " _Not all men can be like him._ "

"Shiro Iwasawa was a good man." Yuki replied sullenly. "But he's gone now…"

" _Well, that's what happens in Tokyo–3._ " Mimi said. " _That Third Angel surprised everyone… a lot of people died that night._ "

"He should have been in a shelter! There was plenty of time!" Yuki said angrily. "But he went back to try and save a little girl…"

" _Do you blame Ikari?_ " Mimi asked.

"No… it wasn't his fault." Yuki said. "I've seen the files… he didn't want to fight, but did anyway… Shiro was just in the wrong place." Yuki sighed. "He was only a child…"

" _Sorry to have brought this all up, Yuki._ " Mimi said.

"It's ok…" Yuki said. "I can't hide from it."

" _So, how's work?_ " Mimi asked. " _Working at NERV must be interesting._ "

"I'm observing them, not working for them." Yuki said. "Not that I can do much of that with Colonel Katsuragi having a go at me every few minutes."

" _Well, she was always described to me as a bitch anyway._ " Mimi said.

"She's not that bad." Yuki said. "I wouldn't really want someone always questioning my ability to lead breathing down my neck."

" _Don't sell yourself short._ " Mimi said. " _That woman should never have been put in charge. She was a part of that old regime…_ "

"And your husband was a part of the regime in the U.N. that went into hiding, wasn't he?" Yuki asked. "One of the hundreds who said they had been coerced."

" _He was never directly involved in anything._ " Mimi replied. " _You know that._ "

"I'm not really sure Mimi." Yuki said. "You're never even taken his last name."

" _That's because it's so European._ " Mimi replied. " _That and…_ "

"You don't really love him, do you?" Yuki asked.

" _I hate when you ask that question._ " Mimi replied. " _I don't hate him…_ " Mimi paused. " _Well, why didn't you change your name back after your husband died?_ "

"Because I still love him, and I much prefer Iwasawa to Shikinami." Yuki said.

" _Such the idealist._ " Mimi replied.

"Look, I'm sorry your husband's an ass… but I have to go in and deal with Katsuragi and try to at least talk to the kids without getting head bitten off." Yuki explained.

" _Wait, you haven't gotten to talk to the pilots yet?_ " Mimi asked.

"Well, I was able to say hello, but all I got was brushed off as not worth their time." Yuki said.

" _So… how is my step–daughter?_ " Mimi said. " _How is Asuka?_ "

"Well, she seems fine." Yuki said. "Not that I can tell or sure."

" _Is she happy?_ " Mimi asked. " _I mean…_ "

"I guess she is." Yuki replied. "She fights very well too, lots of conviction." Yuki scratched her head. "I didn't think you cared much for her."

" _All I ever wanted was for her to like… to accept me._ " Mimi said.

"Mimori… you fucked her father while her mother lay comatose in a hospital room." Yuki said. "Do you expect her to forgive that?"

" _Well, I was hoping that she could._ " Mimi, or rather Mimori replied. " _Is that so wrong._ "

"You're the phycologist, you tell me." Yuki replied flippantly.

" _Bit of an attitude big sis._ " Mimori replied. " _But to answer your question honestly, it was a bit foolish to expect to be accepted. At this point, I'd appreciate it if she would talk to her siblings. They're quite fond of her._ "

"Well, I'd rather not say I'm related to you or your husband." Yuki said. "It's easier for me at work."

" _How do you still have a job?_ " Mimori asked. " _I thought the U.N Headquarters was wiped out with Tokyo–2._ "

"Well, apparently there was an evacuation." Yuki explained. "About a quarter million people of the city's 7 million got out… unfortunately the government wasn't that lucky."

" _Where are they all going to go?_ " Mimori asked.

"I believe they're being shipped here to Tokyo–3." Yuki said. "This is a city meant to house far more than inhabit it."

" _Well, hopefully that's the only Angel that attacks._ " Mimori said.

"Something tells me that wasn't the last resurgence we're going to see." Yuki said.

" _Well, Yuki, just please be careful._ " Mimori said.

"You too, Mimi." Yuki replied.

" _Why do I need to be careful?_ " Mimori asked.

"Your husband." Yuki replied. "He's not the nicest person."

" _He's only hit me the once, Yuki._ " Mimori replied.

"Somehow I doubt that, Mimi." Yuki mumbled. "And that's not the point! You need to leave him!"

" _And what about my children?_ " Mimori asked. " _He will take them from me. He knows too many powerful people, Yuki. If I leave, I will become a hunted woman._ "

"I can't believe out of all the men you've ever met you had to choose Oscar Langley…" Yuki said.

" _Ok, so I may have made a mistake._ " Mimori replied. " _But I got two wonderful children out of it, so it's not entirely bad._ " Mimori sighed. " _Look, Yuki, I'm glad you're ok, but next time we talk, can you not bring up Oscar? I'd rather talk about something else. It always turns into a discussion on him._ "

"Well, older sisters are supposed to say "I told you so" as much as possible." Yuki said. "Just stay safe, ok?"

" _I will._ " Mimori said. " _Goodbye._ "

"Bye, Mimi." Yuki replied as she hung up the phone and noticed the time. "Oh no… I'm gonna be late!"

–––

Maya walked to Misato's office as quick as she could. She had gotten an urgent call from Misato to come up to her office at once. When Maya got there, she was about to knock, but was called in before she even had a chance to.

"Colonel, what's wrong?" Maya asked. "I got here as quick as I could."

"I need to talk to you about something Maya." Misato said. "Something… important."

"What's it about?" Maya asked. "Is it the Evangelions?"

"It's not about work, Maya." Misato said. "Could you get the door?"

"Ma'am… is this something we shouldn't talk about here?" Maya asked as Misato flipped a switch.

"Maya, it's a SCIF room, we can talk freely here." Misato said. "And I'm asking advice from you as a friend, not as your boss."

"So, what is it, Misato?" Maya asked.

"You may want to sit down, Maya." Misato said as her face turned white. "This is… enormous."

Maya sat down nervously. "Misato, you're white." Maya said worriedly.

"I know." Misato said. "But before I say anything, I need you to promise me that what I say here doesn't go anywhere…"

"Of course, Misato." Maya said.

"Ok… so three weeks ago, I got a bit of a shock." Misato explained. "Shinji had gone out without telling anyone where he was going, and when he came back he had someone in tow with him…"

"What do you mean someone?" Maya asked.

"It was…" Misato mumbled. "It was Kaji."

"Who?" Maya asked.

"Kaji." Misato said. "My Kaji."

Maya almost collapsed from shock. "How… how is that… how is that… possible?" Maya stammered. "He's… he… he died."

"Apparently not." Misato said. "I saw him with my own two eyes, standing right in front of me… it was… it was surreal…"

"That's… wow… I mean… how?" Maya asked.

"I haven't asked him yet." Misato said. "We've only spoken twice since he came back."

"But he's alive…?" Maya asked. "Shouldn't you be… happy?"

"I… I still don't know." Misato said. "But what he came back to tell me, what he risked so much to tell me is that we're in danger."

"What did he risk?" Maya asked.

"He says he's being hunted, or tracked, or something." Misato said. "And that he hid away all these years to protect us, and to keep himself from really getting killed."

"And what threats could we possibly be facing from anything other than the Angels?" Maya asked.

"A lot of things apparently." Misato replied. "He thinks the U.N. is still out to get us, and that there's some other group that wants to take over NERV, and he figured an Angel would come and attack, which he thought was why the EVAs woke up."

"He knew about that?" Maya asked. "That was kept secret!"

"Well, he's always had his ways." Misato replied. "So he found Shinji or something and then came to tell me straight away… I didn't really believe him before, but after losing Tokyo–2… it got me thinking that maybe he was right."

"Hang on… you said Shinji brought him back?" Maya asked. "Is this why you and Asuka weren't speaking to Shinji a few weeks ago? Because Kaji came back?"

"Yeah, but Shinji knew Kaji was alive and didn't tell us, even though Kaji made him promise to keep his mouth shut." Misato said. "I… it was dumb to blame him. Bu that's not the point… I need advice on what to do with him. I can't keep him hidden away at our old apartment forever, especially now."

"Why not now?" Maya asked.

"The Angels are back!" Misato said worriedly. "The one thing we were hoping was gone for good. I'm sure this last one isn't a one off… there's got to be more."

"So, even if there are more, what can Kaji do, realistically?" Maya asked.

"He could spy again…" Misato said. "Or something like that."

"Misato… wouldn't he be better suited here, where he can help?" Maya asked. "He used to have real good ideas… and someone needs to be in charge of Tactical now that the Angels are back, you're the boss, you can't be in charge of it anymore."

"Yeah, but he's dead." Misato said.

"But was he officially declared dead?" Maya asked. "Or just listed as missing?"

"I've never bothered to check." Misato said. "I didn't want to look really."

"Well… go and check, you have command access." Maya said.

Misato reluctantly looked to her computer and searched Kaji's name. "Huh… listed as missing, presumed killed, December 26, 2016." Misato muttered. "So would that mean he's dead?"

"I don't know, Misato." Maya replied. "You'd have to ask someone in the Koseki office."

"I don't really want to bring this to anyone's attention if Kaji's right about being hunted." Misato said. "I don't want to be the one to get him killed…"

"Just go in and ask a general question, Misato." Maya said. "Then you can figure out what to do with him."

"I guess that could work…" Misato said. "I just… I still don't know what to think."

"Look, you've told me a hundred times that you wished he was still alive so you could tell him how much you love him." Maya said. "And it's kinda sweet it didn't want to put you in any danger… even if it was stupid to make Shinji lie, he did it with a good heart."

"I know, it's so aggravating!" Misato bemoaned. "I just can't get around the fact that he lied to me!"

"Misato, up until a few weeks ago, you thought he was dead and wanted him back." Maya said. "Don't let being upset cloud your feelings for him." Maya paused. "Can I tell you something I've noticed?"

"Go ahead." Misato said.

"As a friend… I noticed that you were happy when he was alive and that you've been sad since he disappeared…" Maya said kindly. "I want you to be happy… so maybe… just let go of whatever problem you've got with him being gone and just look on the bright side that you didn't lose him after all. You're going to want that if we're back under that constant shadow of death…"

"Yeah… that shadow of death…" Misato muttered. "I guess I should go make some inquiries…"

"When?" Maya asked.

"Now I guess." Misato said. "You're effectively Second–in–Command, so you can deal with little miss pain in my ass."

"She's not that bad." Maya said. "Just misguided."

"Well, whatever she is, just keep her away from the kids." Misato ordered. "I don't want her interrogating them…" Misato got up and switched off the SCIF components in her office. "I'll be back shortly, contact me if anything goes… awry."

"Understood, Colonel." Maya said with a smile.

–––

It was still early in the morning, and Mari hadn't slept. She had been up all night for the second night in a row, unable to get to sleep. Instead, all she could do is toss, and turn and think about Rei. It wasn't the first time this had happened either, but it was worse than it had ever been. With the thought of more Angels appearing being on everyone's mind, Mari couldn't help but think that maybe it was time to confront Rei about what's been bothering her the past three years. Mari slowly sat up and caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles, and she looked utterly exhausted.

"Well… at least I look how I feel…" Mari muttered as she got up and went to the door.

Mari crept out into the hallway and didn't hear anything. She snuck past Shinji and Asuka's room and heard them both snoring.

"At least someone's sleeping…" Mari said.

When Mari got to Rei's door, she hesitated for minute, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and knocked lightly on Rei's door. There was no answer. Mari resisted the urge to slide the door open and look to see if was in there, but resigned herself that the talk wasn't happening today. Instead of turning back to her room, Mari walked to the living room, shaking her head.

"Figures…" Mari said. "No I don't think I'll ever get to…" Mari looked up and noticed Rei, curled up in a chair, immersed in a book. "Rei…"

Rei looked up and noticed Mari standing there, and marked the page she was on. "You're never up this early." Rei said as she closed the book.

"Can't be up early if you haven't slept." Mari joked.

"Then I will leave you…" Rei said as she got up.

"No." Mari said quietly.

"What?" Rei asked.

"I said no." Mari said. "I'm only out of my room because I wanted to talk to you, Rei."

"What is there to talk about?" Rei said as Mari blocked her path.

"Why you avid me so much." Mari said quietly as she began shaking. "And why you refuse to talk to me, why you won't so much as say anything nice to me, why you've been acting like this for three years."

"I told you already…" Rei began.

"I don't believe you." Mari said. "You're lying about something… you said you avoid me so we don't have this conversation… and I've done what Shinji and Asuka begged me to do… give you space… let you heal… but its been long enough… three years wondering why you hate me… I'm tired of waiting, we're discussing this now."

"We're not discussing anything of the kind." Rei said as she tried to get past Mari.

"I said we're discussing it now!" Mari snapped as she pushed Rei into a chair. "You're acting just like your brother did about Asuka! Always avoiding the subject, not wanting to deal with his feelings! You can't hide from this conversation forever! You might have been able to if the Angels never came back… but they're here… and if I die, I want to know why you don't love me anymore!"

"Mari, you're being unreasonable." Rei said calmly.

"No I'm not." Mari said. "It's been three years… I believe I've been reasonable enough." Mari broke down in tears. "I… I just want… want to know… why you… hate me, Rei…"

"I don't want to talk about it…" Rei said.

"Why not?!" Mari asked emphatically. "It's not fair, and I hate not knowing… its driving me insane!"

"Perhaps so, but this is not the way to make me talk about my feelings." Rei replied.

"Well, we can't wait for Fourth Impact to talk about your feelings Rei!" Mari said sarcastically. "Do you even know what it's like not knowing how someone you love feels about you?!"

"Yes, I do Mari." Rei retorted angrily. "And I have you to blame for that."

"Wha…?" Mari asked. "What did I do?"

"You don't even know, do you?" Rei asked. "You fell in love with Yui Ikari… my mother… you told us all that… that you pined after her and missed your chance to be with her. Do you know how that made me feel, Mari?"

"I don't know…" Mari said.

"I hated you after that." Rei said. "You never wanted me, you wanted my mother."

"That's not…" Mari began.

"Yes it is!" Rei shouted. "All the things you ever said about me, how wonderful I am, how beautiful I was, you weren't telling me, you were telling her!"

"No I wasn't!" Mari snapped. "I was telling you! Sure you look a lot like Yui, but you're not like her at all! You're different, like I'm different! We were in a world was foreign with us! I fell in love with you because you're special!"

"You're lying!" Rei shouted back. "You had that same look on your face when you talked about my mom that you did when you talked to me! How can I trust you if I can't believe you! I don't love you anymore because I don't even know if you ever loved me!"

"What…?" Mari asked. "What about what you told me after your fight with Armisael!" Mari shouted. "Was that a lie?!"

"Yes, because I wasn't ready to be with you!" Rei shouted. "And I'm glad I waited, because of what your feelings turned out to be! A… a fucking lie!"

"You… you don't swear…" Mari mumbled as she broke down sobbing again. "I never… I never… lied to… you…"

"How can I ever know that?" Rei asked coldly. "I can't trust you, which means I can't ever believe what you say."

"What the fuck…" Asuka muttered, startling the pair of them.

Rei looked up and Mari turned around to see Shinji and Asuka standing in the doorway, absolutely slack jawed listening to the two of them arguing.

"I… uh…" Mari stammered as she ran back to her room sobbing.

"What the fuck was that?" Asuka asked.

"How much did you hear?" Rei asked.

"Pretty much all of it." Shinji said. "From when Mari pushed you into the chair."

"You guys weren't exactly quiet." Asuka added.

"Oh." Rei said. "This is why I didn't want to tell her… I made her cry once… and once was enough for a lifetime…"

"Sounds like you still like her, wundergirl." Asuka quipped.

"I do not." Rei said. "And I don't wish to talk about this anymore!"

"She's right though, Rei." Asuka said. "You are hiding from this."

"I am not." Rei said sternly. "I told her the truth, which is more than she ever did for me."

"Rei, how can you say that?" Shinji asked. "Mari may have _loved_ mom, but she _loves_ you."

"I honestly don't know if she ever did, onii–chan." Rei said. "Now please leave this subject alone. That goes for you too, Asuka."

"I will if you promise to apologize to her." Asuka said. "You were mean, Rei… and that wasn't right."

"She shouldn't have forced me to discuss it." Rei said. "It would have been easier for her thinking I never loved her…"

"Rei, you're lying to yourself if you think you never loved her." Shinji said.

"I'm not lying to myself, onii–chan." Rei said as she settled herself in back in the chair. 'Or am I…?' Rei thought as she opened her book. 'This is why I hate my feelings… I wish they would just go away…'  
–––

Misato had walked straight to the emergency government offices that had been set up across the street from one of NERV's surface entrances. As Misato walked in, she noticed a large JSSDF presence within the lobby.

'Haven't seen this many JSSDF here since Third Impact…' Misato thought. 'Little unnerving to say the least…'

Misato walked up to the front desk and rang the bell.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" The receptionist asked.

"I'm looking for the Koseki office?" Misato asked.

"Fourth floor, room 427–B." The reception said.

"Thanks." Misato said as she walked to the elevator and took the surprising fast ride up. When she got off the elevator, Misato followed the signs to the room she was looking for and entered to see the most chaotic room she'd ever seen. People were everywhere, waving paper around, shouting, crying, and trying to talk with the representatives behind the counter. There were at least ten JSSDF soldiers removing the hysterical people from the room, either calmly, or if needed, by force. Misato looked on as she waited for the next available person, and after a large group of angry people were moved out of the room, Misato was next in line. She stepped up to the counter and faced a shorter, older woman.

"How may I help you today, ma'am?" The woman asked.

"I had a question about a missing person." Misato said.

"You'll have to be more specific, ma'am, we've had a lot of those the past few days." The woman said.

"I was curious about what was involved in declaring someone dead." Misato asked.

"Does this stem from any of the events in Tokyo–2?" The woman asked.

"No, this is from three years ago." Misato said.

"Well, if the paperwork as filed with our office properly, we would have been notified of the person's new status. If the period of time before death ca be legally declared expires, then the paperwork would move forward." The woman explained. "However, I cannot look up any case files at the moment, our system is… experiencing some technical issues."

"What time period?" Misato asked.

"There are two." The woman explained. "One for normal circumstances lasting seven years, and for special or extraordinary situations where the time limit is only a year. This information would be on any copies of the paperwork you may have."

"So what would happen if this person were found?" Misato asked. "Alive that is."

"Well, if death had not been declared, new paperwork would need to be filed with our office to update the file." The woman explained. "And reasons would need to be given for the disappearance. However, given the state of our file system, if anyone was found now that had been declared missing, no one would notice with the influx of changes. If anything was lost, then we would still be updated, but the file would be incomplete and the declaration of death in absentia would disappear." The woman sighed. "Centralizing everything was a poor decision on the part of the government… but they wanted one central repository after Second Impact to better track the population."

"Bureaucracy at its finest." Misato quipped.

"Is that all you needed, dear?" The woman asked.

"Yes, thank you." Misato said as she left.

"Glad I could help, miss." The woman said.

Once Misato got outside, she breathed a sigh of relief. "So, I just need to check the file and find out if Kaji can just… come back to life." Misato said quietly.

–––

Kaji was sitting in the old apartment watching TV, trying to find something to pass the time. He'd cleaned his gun far too much in the past two weeks, he doubted it would need to be cleaned for some time. He had played every videogame Asuka had left behind and beaten them, and even played solitaire so much with the deck of cards he found, he knew what each one of the cards were from the back. So, he left with only the TV to watch, and he was in the middle of a decent movie about some crazy American fighting terrorists in Los Angeles at Christmas when a special news bulletin interrupted the film.

"Oh, this can't be good…" Kaji muttered.

" _This is an Action News special news bulletin._ " The male announcer on the news said. The screen cut to a male and female anchor sitting worriedly behind a news desk.

" _We interrupt your local programming to bring you breaking news on the ongoing crisis in the ruins of Tokyo–2._ " The male anchor said as the TV cut to aerial images of a burned out Tokyo–2.

"Ugh… this again…" Kaji muttered. "Fucking news networks…"

" _The country is still reeling from the sudden loss of the second Capital city in the last 20 years._ " The female announcer said as the screen continued to pan over the destroyed city. " _With the death toll now standing at over 6 million, with only 250,298 confirmed survivors, still leaves some one and half million or more people declared missing and presumed dead. The search effort continues for survivors, though sources, not wishing to be identified, have said the search is most likely not going to produce any survivors, only corpses._ "

"Who the fuck says that?" Kaji asked angrily.

" _Thankfully the carnage was stopped by the timely intervention of the Special U.N. Agency, NERV._ " The male announcer said as the scene cut to Unit–01 and Unit–02 shooting at Iblis.

"How do they even have that footage?" Kaji asked.

" _Their mechs, which were made public three years ago in an event that engulfed Tokyo–3 and the areas surrounding it in a mysterious and as of yet unexplained situation were deployed to fight the monster and successfully killed it._ " The male announcer continued as the scene cut back to the newsroom. " _However, we don't have any more usable footage for the battle, as our news helicopters were destroyed in an explosion._ "

"Well, that's what happens in a battle zone, you assholes." Kaji muttered.

" _Even with this monster being destroyed the crisis is ongoing._ " The female announcer said. " _Because of this ongoing crisis, the government is in a constant state of chaos. In a surprise move by the remaining cabinet members, the former Minister of Education was unanimously elected as the interim Prime Minister. His military experience was touted as the reason for his sudden, and unexpected promotion. In a wave of decisions by the remaining government ministers, the state of emergency that was declared two days ago will remain in effect for the country until further notice. This decision was followed by naming Tokyo–3 as the new seat of government following the destruction of Tokyo–2._ "

"We know Tokyo–2 was destroyed, for fuck's sake…" Kaji muttered.

" _In a final move reminiscent of Imperial power before World War II, the JSSDF has been given full police powers, with a state of martial law being declared throughout the country until further notice._ " The male announcer reported. " _The JSSDF have instituted a curfew that will last from 18:00 to 06:00 and will stay in effect until the state of emergency and martial law have been rescinded. Anyone caught out after hours will be detained indefinitely at an undisclosed location._ "

"Oh fuck…" Kaji muttered. "This, this isn't good."

" _This has been an Action News special news bulletin._ " The female announcer said as the scene cut to a title card. " _Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…_ "

"Well… I think it's time to make some phone calls." Kaji said. "Martial law was unexpected… and that means the U.N. are in control now… and I think they're about to make their move…"

* * *

April 15, 2020 – NERV HQ

It had been another long day at school for the kids. While they had been able to start catching up on the work they had to accomplish, they still weren't thrilled to be there. Mari however was beginning to fall behind. After her argument with Rei, she had stayed locked in her room, ignoring Shinji's pleas to talk to with her, and even refusing to come out to get something to eat. So, when Asuka, Shinji, and Rei showed up for their sync tests, they were surprised to see her there at all.

"Oh, this gonna get awkward…" Asuka muttered.

"I'll stand next to Mari, you stand next to Rei." Shinji said.

"Sounds like a plan to me, baka." Asuka replied.

The pair of them moved so that Mari and Rei would not be next to each other. The four of them stood there in silence waiting for Misato and Maya to greet them, with nobody speaking in order to keep the peace.

Misato noticed the awkward silence when she walked in, followed closely by Maya. Misato knew that Mari had hidden away for three days, Misato wanted to find out why.

"Well, Mari, nice to see that you're actually alive." Misato said. "Do you have an explanation as to why you've been hiding for three days?" Mari shook her head silently. "Are any of you going to tell me?"

'This… again…' Rei thought as she glanced down at Mari, who shied away from her gaze. 'I should apologize…' Rei looked down at the floor. 'I shouldn't have been so harsh with her the other day… she was right, it was unfair not to tell her…' Rei coughed to get Misato attention. "Mari and I had an argument, and I said some things that were unkind to her." Rei said quietly. "I was harsher than I meant to be, and for that I'm sorry."

"Thank you for that Rei." Misato said. "So Mari, stop moping." Mari nodded her head slightly. "Good enough." Misato sighed.

"So what are doing today?" Asuka asked to change the subject.

"A.T. Field practice for you." Misato said, pointing at Asuka and Shinji. "Basic sync testing for Rei and Mari, and for Shinji, after you finish your regular test, I need a big favor. Like a huge favor."

"What kind of huge favor?" Shinji asked.

"I need you to make more S2 Engines." Misato said.

"What now?" Asuka asked. "He can't do that."

"But he already has." Misato said. "How could you forget?"

"I may have been dead at the time, Misato." Asuka quipped sarcastically.

"But Misato, I didn't even try to make an S2 Engine, I just wanted to save Asuka." Shinji said worriedly. "I don't think I can repeat that."

"Yes you can, Shinji." Misato said. "We've only got two reliable Evangelions at the moment, with two under repair, and three finishing up construction. The two under repair already have S2 Engines, and the other three need them."

"Why does it matter?" Asuka asked.

"We need flexibility, which only an S2 Engine can give us." Maya explained. "Unit–05, Unit–06, and Unit–07 all need to be able to keep up with the other four Evangelions."

"And why is this only Shinji's responsibility?" Asuka asked.

"Asuka, I can speak for myself…" Shinji muttered.

"I know that, but let me be mad for you, baka!" Asuka snapped. "Well, Misato?"

"Uh… Maya?" Misato stammered.

"Asuka, Shinji's sync score happens to be more stable at the level we need to get it to in order for this to work." Maya explained.

"How high does it need to be?" Rei asked.

"Between 250% and 300% with stable vitals." Maya said.

"Wait, he can go that high?!" Asuka shouted. "You can go that high!?" Shinji nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because it's dangerous to go that high." Shinji said. "That's why we keep it at 150%… for my safety… and everyone else's."

"Everyone else's?" Mari asked quietly.

"Well, we don't want a Fourth Impact, do we?" Shinji asked.

"Not particularly…" Asuka muttered. "I got a lot of catching up to do…"

"Asuka, it's not a contest." Rei said. "Your sync score is over 100% as it is."

"I want it to be higher." Asuka said.

"It'll get there with practice." Misato said. "So, Shinji, can you try to help us out?"

"I will…" Shinji said. "But if anything bad happens, force me out or something, ok?"

"What could happen?" Asuka asked.

"H could get absorbed into the Core and be trapped there again for one." Mari murmured. "Or he could die."

"WHAT?!" Asuka shouted. "Misato, is that really worth the risk?!"

"I think it is." Misato said.

"So do I." Maya added. "And there are safeguards in place to protect him. Ones that haven't been tampered with."

"How comforting…" Mari mumbled.

"Alright… let's do it." Shinji said.

"Baka…" Asuka muttered.

"Don't worry, Asuka, I'll be ok." Shinji said.

"Fine, but I'm staying to keep an eye on him." Asuka said.

"You can watch from the Command Center." Misato said. "But first, to your sync tests."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Asuka muttered.

–––

After their sync tests, Asuka, Rei, and Mari were standing in the Command Center watching a view of the Cage on the main display with a separate display showing Shinji's slightly nervous face as he sat in his Entry Plug.

"Shinji, you ok?" Misato asked.

" _Yeah, I'm good._ " Shinji said. " _Can we start yet?_ "

"Maya, Sumire?" Misato asked.

"Evangelion Unit–01 is online and locked in place." Sumire said. "Receiving platform is in place, ready to catch the new S2 Engines."

"Sync score is steady at 155%." Maya said. "Shinji's vital are stable. He's clear."

"Ok, Shinji." Misato said. "Whenever you're ready."

" _Right._ " Shinji said confidently.

"Just raise your sync score slowly, Shinji." Maya said. "No need to rush."

" _Right._ " Shinji said as he closed his eyes.

"Ok… sync score is starting to go up… synchrograph is still steady… 173%… 192%… 213%… 228%… 241%… 253%… 265%… ok Shinji, you're high enough, I think we're ready to begin."

" _So how do I go about doing this?_ " Shinji asked. " _I mean… is it possible for me to do this?_ "

"Shinji, anytime you've done something with Unit–01, you were angry." Maya said. "But you were always focused on saving everyone… think about how creating those S2 Engines will save everyone Shinji."

" _Right!_ " Shinji replied. " _These will allow us to stop the Angels… we can fight without worrying about those stupid power cables… we'll be on equal footing with the Angels._ "

Unit–01 began to emit a purple aura. It slowly formed around the Evangelion and flickered in and out of existence, slowly expanding each time it returned.

"Readings are spiking, Colonel." Maya said. "It's starting."

"You're doing it, baka!" Asuka shouted proudly.

"These will save everyone, onii–chan!" Rei called out.

The purple aura had now fully enveloped Unit–01 and was fluttering like a flame around the Evangelion's body. It slowly began to condense around Unit–01's own Core, hidden beneath its chest armor.

"Sync ration is climbing…" Maya muttered worriedly. "290%… 314%… 331%… 369%… it's getting too close to 400%, Colonel…"

"We've got to stop this, now!" Asuka cried.

"We can't we're too far along… cutting him off now is too great a risk!" Misato said. "Look, we're so close!"

"Misato, this isn't worth Shinji's life!" Maya shouted.

" _I can do this!_ " Shinji said angrily. " _Just let me finish this, please!_ "

"Baka, don't do anything reckless!" Asuka commanded. "I'm warning you…"

" _Asuka, do you trust me?_ " Shinji asked.

"Of course I trust you, baka!" Asuka replied.

" _Then trust me now._ " Shinji said confidently.

The aura then disappeared into Unit–01's chest and emerged as a large ball of purple light. It hovered over the receiving platform and split in three, with the orbs slowly lowering themselves to onto the platform. The aura dissipated, leaving the three fleshy, liver colored S2 Engines on the platform to ooze. Unit–01 then slumped against its restrains, apparently taking itself offline.

"Unit–01's S2 Engine has shut down!" Sumire warned.

"Shinji's sync rate is dropping like a rock!" Maya shouted. "His vitals are crashing! We need to get him out of there now!"

"Is he buckled in?!" Rei asked.

"Of course!" Maya replied.

Rei reached over Maya and slammed several buttons on her control panel.

"Rei, what are you…?" Misato asked.

The armor plate hatch covering where the Entry Plug was situated was released with explosive bolts, flinging the purple piece of armor into a wall.

"Emergency ejection system has been activated!" Sumire shouted.

The Entry Plug was unscrewed, then its escape rockets fired, sending it careening into the ceiling of the Test Cage. It then skidded along the ceiling to the back wall where it was violently sent into the furthest corner of the room, sending sparks up along the way as it grinded against the metal surface of the walls. The ejection rockets kept the Entry Plug in place, slowly rotating in place on the wall.

" _AHHHHH!_ " Shinji screamed from inside the Entry Plug as he was flung around against the safety restraints in the pilot's seat as it slammed into the wall and spun around wildly.

"Rei, are you insane?!" Misato shouted.

"You were not moving fast enough." Rei said. "It will save him."

The Entry Plug's ejection rockets ran out of fuel, and it stopped spinning and then began a fast decent to floor below. They all watched as the Entry Plug slowly rolled along the floor until getting to a corner and stopping in its tracks.

"Have a medical team sent to the Cage immediately!" Misato ordered. "Get him out of there, now!"

Asuka turned and tried to run out of the room, but Misato caught her arm before she could move.

"Let go of me, Misato!" Asuka shouted.

"No, let the doctors do their job." Misato said.

"I want to be down there with him!" Asuka shouted. "He's been there for me so much, I want to be there for him!" Asuka wrenched her arm out of Misato's grasp. "I owe him that much for all the times he slept next to us in the hospital!"

Asuka ran from the Command Center, and Misato moved to follow, but her path was blocked by Mari.

"Mari, move." Misato said.

"No." Mari replied. "If you don't let her go, she'll be even angrier with you about having him do this experiment."

"Yes, I hope the results were worth risking onii–chan's life…" Rei muttered.

"I… his life isn't less important than those S2 Engines." Misato muttered. "We just need them so that we can keep everyone safe…"

"Still, it was an awful dumb thing to put your best pilot at risk." Mari said.

"Misato, don't turn into Commander Ikari and disregard our safety for the "greater good" or whatever his misguided reasons were for doing what he did…" Rei said sternly.

"I… I'm not like him at all…" Misato muttered. 'Or is the power of this position corrupting me…?' Misato thought as Rei angrily left room, followed by Mari, who sulked slowly behind her.  
–––

The interim Prime Minister was sitting in the conference room with the rest of the remaining Cabinet and Diet members. He was preparing to give a speech to lessen the restrictions and rescind the order for marital law. As he stood up to deliver the speech, the doors to the room were kicked in by heavily armed JSSDF assault soldiers. They pointed their rifles at everyone in the room. Two of the soldiers walked up to the Prime Minister and forcibly restrained him, slamming him into the table.

"Sir, I'm placing you under arrest for sedition against the United Nations, and of the people of Japan." The soldier said. "By the authority granted me by the United Nations Security Council, you and your Cabinet are being deposed."

"What?" The Prime Minister asked.

"The order to rescind martial law will not be going into effect." The soldier said. "We are in control of the country now."

"Who gave you these orders?" The Prime Minister asked. "Who would order something as foolish as this?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that information." The soldier said. "Now sit down and shut the fuck up."

–––

Misato walked town to the cold storage Cage that one housed Unit–01. It had never been repaired, as there wasn't a need for it at the time, but its cooling unit was still operational. As Misato entered, she saw the three fleshy S2 Engines being properly stored in padded crates. She walked over to Maya, who was supervising, to ask her a few things.

"Maya, got a second?" Misato asked.

"What's up, Colonel?" Maya asked.

"How are the new S2 Engines?" Misato asked. "Is everything… ok with them?"

"It appears so, except they're only about a quarter of the size they should be." Maya explained. "Other than that, I assume they'll grow to the proper size once they're put into an Evangelion."

"So what does that mean?" Misato asked.

"Well, in short, it appears that Shinji divided his S2 Engine rather than creating new ones." Maya explained. "That would explain why he got so weak… he used his uh… life force I guess… to create these things."

"So, was this really worth the risk to his life?" Misato asked.

"While these would be very helpful in the long run…" Maya said. "The risk was unacceptable and he the experiment should have been cut."

"Yeah… I was starting to think that after what Asuka said…" Misato muttered.

"What, after she said you were acting like the former Commander?" Maya asked.

"Yeah… that…" Misato muttered. "I'm not… being him… am I?"

"Can I speak frankly, ma'am?" Maya asked.

"Always." Misato replied.

"You're not like him yet." Maya said. "But if you keep this kind of stuff up, you could be."

"Oh…" Misato murmured. "I didn't know…"

"Well, at least you asked." Maya said. "So you're not anything like him, really."

"Still… I don't want to ever be compared to him like that ever again." Misato said.

"Then figure out how to apologize." Maya said. "To Shinji… if he forgives you, Asuka won't hate you as much."

"I can't believe I let things go that far…" Misato said.

"Colonel… Misato… don't let it get to you." Maya said. "One or two little mistakes doesn't make you Gendo Ikari."

"Two mistakes?" Misato asked.

"Making Shinji train." Maya said quietly. "That's all."

"Well, I guess I should go find him and apologize…" Misato muttered.

"Well, just be careful." Maya said. "Asuka's with him."  
–––

Asuka was sitting next to Shinji's bed in the Hospital Wing, something she had hoped would never happen again. Being there brought back all sorts of unpleasant memories that she just wanted to go away. As she sat there, Shinji began to stir, and Asuka breathed a sigh of relief.

"Baka…?" Asuka asked.

"What is it?" Shinji asked as he slowly woke up. "Why am I in here…?"

"You passed out after your little test." Asuka said. "You took a big risk, baka. You almost died… you had me so worried…I'm so mad at you right now…"

"Asuka… I didn't think…" Shinji stammered. "I thought it would be ok."

"Well, you were wrong, baka!" Asuka said angrily. "Don't ever do that again, do you hear me?! I don't want to ever think about… about… losing you again…"

"Asuka, I'm sorry." Shinji said. "Please don't cry."

"I'm not crying baka…" Asuka said as she wiped her eyes.

"Well, it can't be onions." Shinji joked.

"Shut up…" Asuka muttered.

"Uh… sorry to interrupt…" Misato said from the door.

"What do you want?" Asuka asked.

"I came to apologize." Misato replied.

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"Because Asuka was right." Misato said. "I asked too much of you knowing you'd volunteer to do it anyway. And when things went bad… I should have stopped it." Misato sighed. "I was acting like… your father…"

"Misato, you're nothing like him." Shinji said.

"Well, she certainly acted like it when your vitals started going haywire." Asuka said.

"What you said hurt, Asuka." Misato said. "But you were right… I was being reckless for no reason… and I'm sorry I put our life at risk…"

"Was it a success?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah… it was." Misato replied.

"Then no harm done." Shinji said. "I accept your apology."

"Baka!" Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, I can't really be mad at her." Shinji said. "I could have said no."

"You should have said no." Asuka replied.

"Well thank you, Shinji." Misato replied. "Unfortunately, the doctors want to keep you overnight… so I'm sorry for that too."

"Then I'm staying." Asuka said.

"It's already been set up." Misato said. "And Rei and Mari already went home."

"What, why?" Shinji asked.

"Well, they both left after making sure you were ok." Asuka said. "I told them to go."

"Oh… I thought they just…" Shinji began.

"No, I told them to go home." Asuka said. "I'm capable enough to keep an eye on you."

"Well, I'm going to go home too." Misato said. "See you tomorrow Shinji."

"Goodnight, Misato." Shinji replied as Misato left.

–––

Misato had just gotten home and was beginning to relax when she decided to check her phone. She'd kept it on "do not disturb" all day so that she could focus on work and the S2 Engine problem, and Shinji's most recent near death experience, when she noticed she had over a dozen voicemails and about three times as many texts.

"What the fuck does he want?" Misato wondered as she left the apartment and went downstairs and knocked angrily on the old apartment's door. Kaji answered it quickly and ushered her inside before Misato could protest.

"What the fuck, Kaji?" Misato asked.

"Look Misato, we have a big problem." Kaji said.

"Which is what?" Misato asked. "That the Angels are back?"

"No, the U.N. are trying to retake NERV." Kaji said.

"Ok, you're being paranoid." Misato said. "There is no way…"

"Have you noticed the heavy influx of JSSDF soldiers?" Kaji asked. "There's more of them here then when they assaulted NERV."

"I… yeah I noticed." Misato said. "What of it?"

"Well, have you noticed that the government has stopped sending out any messages of any kind?" Kaji asked. "Like a silent coup d'état went down and no one noticed."

"Well, I haven't had any time today to really pay attention to that." Misato replied.

"Well, about seven hours ago, all communication with the government was cut off, and a large influx of JSSDF men and materiel came into the city." Kaji said. "Very suspicious."

"Not really, we're under martial law." Misato said. "It's to be expected."

"Yes, but 50,000 men?" Kaji asked. "That's a bit excessive. That's at least half of the their ground strength."

"Well… Kaji, what actual proof do you have?" Misato asked. "Because I don't really have time for this."

"The evacuation that pulled just over a quarter million people out of Tokyo–2… it started four hours before the Angel appeared." Kaji said.

"That's impossible." Misato said. "We have official records. The evacuation started when the Angel was engaged by the JSSDF."

"No, it was much sooner than that." Kaji said as he threw a stack of pictures on the table. "Look, satellite footage of the area an hour before the Angel was found. VTOLs are leaving en masse from the U.N. complex. Trains schedules for four government express trains to Atsugi, Tokyo–3, New Yokosuka, and Yokota, all departing minutes before the Angel was engaged. And there we have a mass exodus of cars from heading away from where the Angel is supposed be, again, beginning an hour before the Angel showed up."

"That… that's not right…" Misato muttered.

"Did you wonder why so many of those assholes made it out?" Kaji asked. "You can't clear out that many people with so little time."

"Well, I didn't think of it that way." Misato said. "I just thought it was lucky."

"No one's that lucky." Kaji said. "Most of the U.N. staff miraculously got out, while six million or so other people were killed when that Angel decided to explode."

"That… that makes sense." Misato said. "But the U.N. wants to take over?"

"Well, who has control of the JSSDF, above government control?" Kaji asked.

"No one else does." Misato said.

"No, per the Valentine Treaty, under Article V, they can take control of the military when there is a crisis beyond the government's control." Kaji explained. "And having a government get almost wiped out is, well… the kind of crisis that can activate the clause. Then having martial law instituted, it gave the JSSDF complete control."

"Yes, but why?" Misato asked. "Why would take NERV?"

"Because, the Angel destroying Tokyo–2 gives them leverage to assault you for not doing your job." Kaji said. "Then the U.N. will direct control over the Evangelions, because their Evangelions were all wiped out the last time."

"Why now though?" Misato asked.

"I don't know, maybe Keel is the one calling the shots, we honestly don't know." Kaji said. "What I do know is he amount of U.N. staffers who claimed they were ignorant of what the old SEELE members were doing, and I know a good portion of them were involved… but the deal that saved NERV and put Fuyutsuki away kept them safe."

"Where did you get all this information?" Misato asked.

"I've been making calls the past few days." Kaji said. "I still have my contacts you know."

"Still, how did you get all this information?" Misato said. "What does it matter?"

"Because, NERV is neutral when it comes to politics." Kaji explained. "With you in Command, you do the right thing, and won't let yourself get pushed around. With the U.N. in commander, or worse, Lorenz in command, the world would be held at ransom… or they'll try to restart instrumentality. Neither option is all that appealing."

"So, what can we do about it?" Misato asked.

"See this?" Kaji asked as he held up a disk. "It's all the info I've gathered so far, encrypted for safety, just like last time."

"Why?" Misato asked.

"Look, I just need a little more digging before we go do anything about this." Kaji said. "When I'm ready, I'm giving a copy to you. If I don't call you within eight hours of giving this to you, you are to send copies of all the information to every news network and website you can."

"What are you planning exactly?" Misato asked.

"A direct approach." Kaji said. "To sever all of Lorenz's ties with his U.N. powerbase once and for all."

"Kaji, you're going to get yourself killed." Misato said.

"No I'm not. This is actually going to be the safest thing I've one in some time. I'm going to go see the American Ambassador when I'm ready." Kaji said. "She may be a bit rough around the edges, but she's clean, no ties with SEELE whatsoever, and hates the stain those shitheads left on the U.N."

"So you're going to do what?" Misato asked.

"Make them an offer they can't refuse." Kaji replied coyly.

* * *

April 18, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Government Offices

Kaji had gotten up early that morning. He was ready to go when the government offices were set to open, and arrives just as they were opening their doors. As Kaji walked inside, he took note of all the JSSDF soldiers scattered about the room. As he got to the front desk, he put on his most charming smile.

"Good morning, sir, how may I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"I'm looking for the U.N. offices." Kaji said brightly.

"Ambassadorial or administrative?" The receptionist asked.

"Ambassadorial." Kaji replied.

"Tenth floor, a receptionist up there can assist you." The receptionist said.

"Thank you very much." Kaji said. He walked calmly to the elevator and entered, waiting to get to his destination. As he arrived at the tenth floor, he exited and looked around, seeing no one at the front desk, he looked and saw no discernable cameras and decided to look for who he needed to speak to. He leaned over the desk and flipped through the directory on the desk, and found who he was looking for, the American Ambassador.

"Bingo." Kaji said as he walked confidently toward the American Ambassador's office. Kaji walked up to the door, and fond it open. He knocked once.

"Enter." The American Ambassador said.

Kai stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Good morning, Ambassador."

"Who the hell are you?" She asked. "You're not my aide."

"No, but I can help you." Kaji said.

"In what regard?" The American Ambassador asked.

"I hear through the grapevine that you dislike that some of your colleges were… saved from a needed purge after certain… facts came to light." Kaji said.

"Go on." The American Ambassador replied.

"Well… after Tokyo–2 was destroyed, I did some digging." Kaji said. "Turns out, there was an evacuation order in effect long before the Angel was detected."

"We were told it was a terrorist threat." The American Ambassador said. "We were moved out of the city very quickly."

"So, you were lied to again." Kaji said. "There is evidence of prior knowledge of the attack."

"What evidence?" The American Ambassador asked.

Kaji produced a disk from his pocket. "This evidence." Kaji said. "Along with a list of people with direct involvement in SEELE's schemes. And this is not the only copy."

"What makes you think that I won't destroy this?" The American Ambassador asked. "What if I have you arrested."

"Well, if I don't contact a few different people in the next seven and a half hours, this information will be leaked to the press." Kaji explained. "And prior knowledge of an attack, especially one that killed over six million people… well, if you thought the U.N. had it rough after a little bit if your last scandal got out…"

"I get your point." The American Ambassador said as she took the disk and put it in her computer. She began to skim the information Kaji had given her, and her face slowly turned to shock. "How do you have copies of the sealed incident files from three years ago?" She asked. "This is… this is all the incriminating evidence."

"Not all of it." Kaji said. "That's just a sample."

"A sample?" The American Ambassador asked.

"Yep the rest of what you want is heavily encrypted." Kaji said. "But to get the decryption key, you're going to need to agree to a few things."

"Hold on a moment while I call in a few others."

"The Japanese, Canadian, and British Ambassadors?" Kaji asked.

"And Israel's." The American Ambassador replied. "But something tells me you already knew that."

"I did, yes." Kaji replied. "I can wait."

While Kaji waited for the other Ambassadors to show up, he stayed focused, hoping for the best, yet still expecting the worse. However, when four other Ambassadors walked into her office, Kaji breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why have you called us here?" The Israeli Ambassador asked.

"You know we cannot have these kinds of meetings on the grounds." The Canadian Ambassador said.

"We weren't before." The American Ambassador replied. "However, with the new information from this man, we have the information we need to get rid of the stains of this great institution once and for all."

"This man?" The Japanese Ambassador asked. "He is a spy!"

"I was." Kaji said. "Before SEELE and my old boss from NERV tried to have me knocked off, and the old Japanese government was no help."

"So, how can we trust your information?" The British Ambassador asked.

"Look I'm a spy, and I know that information is power." Kaji explained. "So, here's some information for you. The evacuation of key personnel from Tokyo–2 was ordered hours before the Angel was spotted, directly contradicting the official account. Against all procedure, when the Angel was encountered, instead of contacting NERV, the JSSDF were ordered, by U.N. Command, to intercept and destroy the Angel. This resulted in the destruction of Tokyo–2 and the majority of its population along with the vast majority of the Japanese government. Now, the interim government of Japan has been deposed by JSSDF and U.N. forces, and are positioning themselves to attack NERV once again."

"You are being paranoid, sir." The Canadian Ambassador said.

"No, check the communiques from the government, there haven't been any in three days." Kaji said. "SEELE's remaining cronies are in control and intend to take the Evangelions for themselves, something that cannot happen."

"You do know that your name will show up in a lot of this." The Japanese Ambassador said.

"Yes, but it won't be anywhere near the big piece of information there." Kaji said. "That SEELE precipitated Second Impact."

"They what?!" The Israeli Ambassador asked.

"Ah, so they did manage to keep that one a secret from the majority of you."

"Impossible!" The British Ambassador said.

"There is data to back up all my claims." Kaji said. "And if you want to get rid of SEELE's shadow over this place, I suggest you listen to what I have to say."

"So, what do you propose?" The American Ambassador asked.

"In exchange for all the guilty parties on your end, and making sure they never see the light of day again, I want your control over NERV to end." Kaji said. "Give Colonel Katsuragi sole command of NERV, and leave all the decisions up to her."

"What else?" The Canadian Ambassador asked.

"Well, allowing NERV to command the JSSDF when the need arises would be beneficial in the long run and will keep them under better control. Give NERV a huge budget so that we can hire who we need to maintain operational readiness." Kaji said. "And that's it, no more attempts on NERV, and NERV will leave you be."

"What about our observer?" The Canadian Ambassador asked.

"She can stay on, but please direct her to not make any suggestions." Kaji said. "She is apparently quite the nuisance during a battle situation."

"That seems reasonable." The American Ambassador replied.

"And if we don't comply or keep you detained?" The Israeli Ambassador asked.

"Well, in six hours now, if I don't make contact with several different people, all this dirty laundry, Second Impact included, will be leaked." Kaji threatened. "So, you can do this the easy way or the bloody way."

"I believe we have a deal then." The American Ambassador said.

"Good." Kaji said.

"The encryption codes please." The American Ambassador said.

"Here you go." Kaji said, producing a piece of paper from his pocket. "All you need to take down the corruption."

The American Ambassador put the encryption key in and pulled up the list of offenders and printed it out. "Here they are… everyone's here."

"I'll order the guards loyal to us to arrest them all simultaneously if possible." The British Ambassador said.

"There are only a few hundred people here…"

"You'd be surprised what SEELE could do with so few." Kaji said. "It was not a pretty sight, but it's how they stayed hidden."

"Give us a few hours, and we'll round everyone up." The American Ambassador said.

"Good luck." Kaji said as he left. "And try not to fuck it up."

–––

Misato was relaxing at home after having had a long day at work. She had gotten a short call from Kaji, telling her everything was all set and that he was going to lay low for a few days in the woods while everything went down. So, as Misato was watching a love movie on TV when something cut into the normal feed.

" _This is an Action News special news bulletin._ " The male announcer on the news said. The screen cut to a male and female anchor sitting behind the news desk.

"Oh…" Misato muttered.

" _We interrupt your local programming to bring you breaking news on the ongoing crisis in the ruins of Tokyo–2._ " The male anchor said as the TV cut to aerial images of a burned out Tokyo–2.

"Oh my kami…" Misato muttered.

" _The country is still reeling from the sudden loss of the second Capital city in the last 20 years._ " The female announcer said as the screen continued to pan over the destroyed city. " _With the death toll now standing at over 6 million, with only 250,298 confirmed survivors, still leaves some one and half million or more people declared missing and presumed dead. The search effort continues for survivors, though sources, not wishing to be identified, have said the search is most likely not going to produce any survivors, only corpses._ "

"Who the fuck says that?" Misato asked angrily.

" _Thankfully the carnage was stopped by the timely intervention of the Special U.N. Agency, NERV._ " The male announcer said as the scene cut to Unit–01 and Unit–02 shooting at Iblis.

"How do they even have that footage?" Misato asked. "Are they trying to die?!"

" _Their mechs, which were made public three years ago in an event that engulfed Tokyo–3 and the areas surrounding it in a mysterious and as of yet unexplained situation were deployed to fight the monster and successfully killed it._ " The male announcer continued as the scene cut back to the newsroom. " _However, we don't have any more usable footage for the battle, as our news helicopters were destroyed in an explosion._ "

"Well, that's what happens in a battle zone, you fuck heads." Misato muttered.

" _Even with this monster being destroyed the crisis is ongoing._ " The female announcer said. " _However, we finally have some good news to report. With a surprise announcement just minutes ago, the interim Prime Minister announced an end to the declaration of martial law, and the removal of the ensuing curfew. JSSDF forces are being asked to return to their bases and reduce their presence to less than 1,000 soldiers._ "

"Wow…" Misato said.

" _However, the state of emergency declared last week is expected to remain in effect for the next several days._ " The male announcer explained. " _We will continue to keep you updated on breaking news as it becomes available to us._ "

" _This has been an Action News special news bulletin._ " The female announcer said as the scene cut to a title card. " _Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…_ "

"Nicely done, Kaji…" Misato muttered as she went back to her movie.

* * *

April 20, 2020 – NERV HQ

Misato was coming in late to work because she had overslept. As soon as she walked in, she saw Yuki approach her in a rush.

"Colonel, may I speak with you?" Yuki asked.

"Regarding?" Misato asked.

"Your future her at NERV." Yuki said quietly.

"I'm not handing in my resignation." Misato said. "So you can forget that."

"No, ma'am this is good news." Yuki replied.

Misato led Yuki angrily to her office, brought her inside, and closed the door. "Fine, just tell me here." Misato said.

"It's, well, these are ne orders for you." Yuki said.

"For?" Misato asked impatiently.

"Why don't I just read it…" Yuki replied. "As of this morning, April 20, 2020 at midnight UTC, Colonel Katsuragi is hereby promoted directly to the rank of Commander of NERV with all the rights and privileges thereof based on her quick action against the destroyer of Tokyo–2. Because of this, direct supervision by the U.N. Security Council will henceforth cease. In addition, the new Command of NERV has direct, operational authority of all JSSDF and U.N. personnel and materiel as the Commander sees fit, if and when the need arises. Finally, Yuki Iwasawa is to safety on in her capacity as an observer for the U.N. but will not make decisions or otherwise undermine the authority of NERV personnel."

"Wait… this is real?" Misato asked.

"Yes." Yuki said. "They seem to be happy with your command style. You're being given all the money you need to run this agency."

"So, now what?" Misato asked.

"You can do whatever you like within the confines of the law." Yuki said.

"So, for U.N. stuff, I go through you right?" Misato asked.

"Yes." Yuki said.

"Good, because I need a few things done, which only the U.N. can grant." Misato said.

"What do you need?" Yuki asked.

"Oh, just some prisoners released." Misato said. "As much as I hate to say it, with our current situation, I feel that their importance out here is far more valuable than being locked up in a maximum security prison."

"That could take some time Colonel… I mean Commander." Yuki said.

"Well, we have some time to wait, but not forever." Misato said. "Now, for the vacant position, I can hire anyone I wish now, without U.N. approval?"

"Correct, we no longer can interfere with your decision process." Yuki replied.

"Good, cause there is someone I want to hire, but he's gonna be mad when I asks him." Misato said. "At least I can offer him good money this time around."

"That would be unadvisable…" Yuki began.

"You did say unlimited budget." Misato reminded her. "And no interference."

"Yes, but it is no to be abused." Yuki said. "There are limits."

"I understand that, and I intend to hire the best people, I'll need to compensate them accordingly." Misato replied. "Now… your position here."

"I am to continue to observe." Yuki said.

"Good, just remember that." Misato said. "Because if you ever contradict me in the middle of a crisis situation again, I'll have you thrown out of the Command Center and recalled to your office, is that perfectly clear?"

"Very much so." Yuki replied nervously.

"Good." Misato replied. "So when can this be announced?"

"It should be announced by the U.N. in the next few hours." Yuki said.

"So… my first act as Commander is to take the rest of the day off." Misato said as she ushered Yuki out of her office.

"What for?" Yuki asked.

"I need to go see a man about a job." Misato replied.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 150.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 120.0% (+8.0%)  
Rei – 22.2% (+10.2%)  
Mari – 19.3% (+9.8%)

First off, to Yuki Iwasawa, her full name is Yuki Shikinami Iwasawa, the older sister of Mimori Shikinami, Asuka's step–mother. And her husband happened to be working in Tokyo–3 at the time Sachiel attacked the city nearly five years before. He died going back for Sakura, who was trapped under rubble from Shinji's initial attack on Sachiel. So, her motivations for meeting the kids are two fold, but at least she doesn't blame Shinji for his death.

Now, as to Kaji's "death." According to Japanese law (which is similar to other laws of this type), having a death declared in absentia requires some conditions to be met, which I looked up on Japanese Wikipedia. The Koseki (戸籍) literally translated as "family registry" deals with all family records in Japan. The onus for reporting disappearances is on the person's family for them to be taken off the register and officially named as deceased. While in real Japan, these offices are administered on a local or provincial level, after the Second Impact, everything was centralized to consolidate the information for easier access. Now, with Tokyo–2 being the governmental hub, and the chaos surrounding it's destruction, recordkeeping is the last thing people are worried about. And how this helps Kaji, who was only listed as "missing in action, presumed deceased" by NERV, he was never declared dead, and can come back to life with few consequences, and none if any paperwork filed by NERV was destroyed or lost.

Next, Mari and Rei's conversation. Mari was a little more forceful than she usually would have been. However, not sleeping for more the 48 hours, filters, subtlety, and niceties tend to go out the window. So, Mari forced Rei into a corner to talk to her, which frankly, yes, should have been done in the time gap, but Mari didn't want to upset Rei, or her chances of getting back together with her at some point.

Now, the U.N. subplot I introduced with Kaji's reintroduction has been resolved. As with many regimes, many people play ignorant to the fact they participated and claimed they were "forced" or "ordered" to do what they did, are usually full of shit. Meaning that the U.N. was still filled with SEELE loyalists, who could still exert some influence on how policy was shaped. Kaji simply gave that information to the right two people, the American and Japanese Ambassadors, who were never affiliated with SEELE, and they, using their own clout, to take direct action and have anyone still loyal to SEELE arrested without hesitation, all they had to do was cede to Kaji's demands, which for the price of ridding their ranks of SEELE members is seemingly worth it.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	6. Chapter 6 – The Four Horsemen

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 6 – The Four Horsemen  
April 20, 2020 – Comfort 17 Apartments

As soon as Misato found out she had been given complete command of NERV, she was ecstatic, and then concerned. She was now short a very important member of her senior staff, but knew where to go to fill the gap. So, as her first official act as Commander, she took the rest of the day off to go deal with the important matter. As she pulled back into the apartment's parking lot, Misato sighed and took the elevator to the twelfth floor. She knocked on her old apartment door, and Kaji answered the door within moments.

"Kaji, what did you do?" Misato asked.

"Hello to you too." Kaji replied. "How are you, Commander?"

"Well, what did you do?" Misato asked. "I have all the authority I could want and all the funding we'll ever need, and the U.N are backing off."

"It's amazing that when you threaten to release sensitive information what people will agree to." Kaji said. "And then they're gonna clean out the corruption from the U.N. and we don't have to do a damn thing!"

"How in the hell did you manage that?" Misato asked.

"I gave the information to the people that would use it to clean house." Kaji said. "I just heard on the news that hundreds of U.N. employees have given sudden resignations, including 20–odd Ambassadors."

"So, we're safe from the U.N. now?" Misato asked.

"We should be." Kaji said. "Keel's now down his main support system, so he shouldn't be a threat anymore. It's just that weird organization I can't find anything on, and the Angels of course."

"You don't think there are more?" Misato asked.

"Well, there might be another couple." Kaji said. "I have a file about the Angels, buts its still heavily encrypted."

"How encrypted?" Misato asked.

"I can't even see how many lines it is, or how big the file is supposed to be…" Kaji muttered. "There's a slew of files I can't break into, and I've tried every decryption codex I know, and nothing."

"Well, maybe what I'm about to offer you can help." Misato said.

"What are you going to offer me, Misato?" Kaji asked as they sat down in the kitchen.

"I need a new Tactical Division Director, Colonel." Misato said.

"Oh no…no, no, no…" Kaji said. "I don't want to go back there again, Misato."

"Kaji… I need someone I can trust." Misato said. "I need you there. You're a great tactician, not as good as me, but you'll have the kids' best interests at heart. You always encouraged them to think for themselves out there… no one else will do that."

"Misato… I don't know how to respond to that." Kaji said. "Besides, I'm dead, I can't just waltz into work and say, "hey here I am" can I?"

"Actually, you're not dead, Kaji." Misato said. "You were listed as missing, and presumed killed. With everything going on before and after Third Impact, your file was never updated to say you were dead. You've got three years of back pay with hazard bonus waiting for you, so you coming back isn't an issue."

"What, did you research this?" Kaji asked.

"Yes I did." Misato replied. "I just needed to find out for myself."

"Well, I guess my answer is yes." Kaji said. "But why give me the rank of Colonel?"

"Your experience in the field gives you the background to have that rank." Misato said. "And I need someone to act as an authority figure if I'm not around, you'd basically outrank everyone else."

"Well, that's not a bad thing." Kaji said. "But there must be other candidates out there."

"None that I can trust." Misato said.

"That statement confuses me." Kaji said. "I thought you couldn't trust me anymore."

"Look, you were right about the U.N. trying to take NERV over, so you must have had a good reason to stay hidden for three years… even if it was a dick move."

"It was a dick move, Misato." Kaji said. "I wish I could change it, but the past is the past."

"I'm glad you're back though." Misato said. "And I'm really glad you're ok."

"Look… if we really are going to work together again… we need to talk." Kaji said.

"About what?" Misato asked.

"Us." Kaji said as he reached over to the answering machine.

"What are getting that for?" Misato asked nervously.

"To play this." Kaji said as he hit the play button.

BEEP

" _Heya, Misato, it's me._ " Kaji said. " _Just calling to say I'm sorry I won't be home tonight. I know I should have told you this before but I don't think I'll be back for a while. Shinji knows what to do… just have him look after things for me, ok? And keep those kids together no matter what. You're a great mother, those kids can't do any better than you… tell Asuka I loved her like a daughter…_ " Kaji sighed. " _I'm getting a bit off point here… I think I'm starting to ramble. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't tell you what was going on because I know you'd want to help, and those kids need you more than I do. I love you, no matter what happens. Goodbye, Misato… until next time…_ "

"Shit…" Misato muttered.

"What?" Kaji asked.

"I… um…" Misato mumbled.

"Why did you keep this message?" Kaji asked.

"Because I wanted you back." Misato said shyly. "But, when I found out you lied about being dead… I was… I was upset that you didn't trust me enough to tell me you were alive."

"Misato, you now the reasons I kept that from you." Kaji said. "You even admitted that you understood."

"I do now… but can things ever be the same between us?" Misato asked. "I don't know what you've been doing the last three years. For all I know you were with some whore while I was hoping for you to still, somehow, be alive…"

"Misato, it wasn't like that at all." Kaji replied. "I missed you every day."

"So, can you tell me what happened three years ago?" Misato asked.

"Well… I can start with what happened with Yamada and go from there." Kaji said. "That is, if you have the time, Misato."

"Fine… do that." Misato said. "I've got all the time you need, Ryoji."

"I was ordered by SEELE to kidnap Fuyutsuki. Sure, it was a dumb thing to do, but I needed some answers, and he was the only one capable of doing that. Well, I knew that SEELE was going to grill him, but I knew if I didn't take him, someone else would have ended up killing him in the process. So, I decided to set up his escape. I took Shinji on a little field trip to Atsugi to help him clear his head after that Kaworu business… then I shoved the poor kid on a train and went to help the old man. When I busted him out, we were chased down by SEELE's goons, and I killed them all, giving the old man cover to get to the train. A soon as SEELE was down, Yamada popped up. He exchanged some witty banter and drew on each other. I caught him in the leg, and he caught me in the side, just above the kidney." Kaji lifted his shit to show the scar. "I was lucky… but I tried to get away while he started firing indiscriminately."

"Then what happened?" Misato asked.

"Well…" Kaji said.

 _ **Flashback**_

 _ **Kaji was slowly walking towards what looked like some sort of industrial building. He was clutching his side, the warm blood from his wound flowing over his hand. As Kaji found a wall to lean on, he heard a train fly by behind him as he saw through the twilight Yamada closing from a distance, limping slightly.**_

 _ **"So, you're still alive." Yamada said breathlessly as he clutched his leg, which was bleeding almost profusely.**_

 _ **"You don't look so good yourself." Kaji said.**_

 _ **"Well, do you want to try this one last time?" Yamada asked.**_

 _ **"Why not?" Kaji said. "You clearly can't hit the broad side of a barn."**_

 _ **"And you were way off the mark yourself." Yamada said.**_

 _ **"I'm allowed one every so often." Kaji replied.**_

 _ **"Don't get too used to breathing." Yamada said.**_

 _ **"I never understood you." Kaji said. "You're so ready to kill, yet you have no feeling."**_

 _ **"Tends to happen when you're a psychopath." Yamada said.**_

 _ **"Then the world would be better off without you." Kaji replied.**_

 _ **The pair leveled their weapons at one another one last time, and a flurry of shots rang out in the twilight, with a murder of crows flying out of the trees in the distance. Kaji watched as the back of Yamada's head blew out, from a clean shot between his eyes. His body dropped like a rag doll, surrounded by an ever growing pool of his own blood. Kaji staggered a bit, now with a second bullet to contend with, and fell against the wall, trying to compose himself.**_

 _ **"Stupid son of a bitch." Kaji said to Yamada's corpse. "At least you were a terrible shot, makes up for you being such an insufferable asshole."**_

 _ **Kaji walked slowly away from the scene, getting to the edge of the nearby woods, thinking of where he should go. He needed medical treatment, but knew that wounds like this would be reported. Before Kaji could make any concrete decisions, he collapsed from a combination of blood loss and exhaustion.**_

 _ **End Flashback**_

"So you passed out in a field on the edge of the woods." Misato said.

"Basically." Kaji said. "I was out cold for hours. Someone found me, and took pity on me, and nursed me back to health."

"Who found you?" Misato asked.

"A woman… someone wonderful really." Kaji replied.

"Of course it was a woman…" Misato grumbled. "I knew it…"

"It wasn't like that at all." Kaji said defensively. "She nursed me back to health and gave me somewhere safe to stay."

"A likely story." Misato retorted.

"Misato, listen…" Kaji pleaded. "She just wanted to help me, that's it."

"What was her name?" Misato asked.

"Gabrielle." Kaji replied. "A British expat living out in the woods. She helped me through the rough patch, Misato. She kept me from losing it entirely, I owe her my life."

"A bit dramatic wouldn't you say?" Misato asked.

Kaji lifted his shirt off to show off the second wound he received from Yamada. The wound in his chest was dangerously close to the heart. "I may have killed Yamada, but almost killed me." Kaji explained. "The second bullet passed between the ventricle and aorta, and the first shot missed my kidney by half an inch, but I still bled like a stuck pig. If she hadn't of found me, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"So she saved you, and then what?" Misato asked.

"For three years, I lived in her spare room." Kaji said. "I had a shack in the woods I used as a base of operations, but her house was my home for three years. That's the long and the short of it."

"So from there you killed off SEELE?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, I'd be gone for weeks on end, do a few of them in a row." Kaji said. "I investigated and collected any data I could. It was rough living, but it was for the best. At least I had somewhere safe to go."

"Fine, so she saved you." Misato said. "I wish you didn't have hide for three years though."

"Well, it wasn't a complete waste." Kaji said. "At least some good came of it."

"The disk you mean?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, it's the compellation of everything I've gathered, a lot of it from SEELE's personal files." Kaji said. "A lot of it, like I said, is still encrypted."

"So, when you go back to work, use the MAGI to decrypt all that." Misato said.

"No, not the MAGI." Kaji said. "Maybe one of Akagi's old science projects… if anything is in this data that can infect the network, I'd rather keep it isolated."

"So… Kaji… how did you… how did you kill all those SEELE pricks?" Misato asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Kaji asked. "You may think less of me."

"You killed bad people, Kaji." Misato said. "People behind Second Impact."

"Well, I snuck into their compounds, and executed them and their guards." Kaji said. "I left no survivors, and destroyed everything I could. I didn't want anyone to know that I took them out… I needed the element of surprise."

"And?" Misato asked.

"It worked on all of them, except Keel." Kaji said. "By the time I got to him, he'd gotten wise. He up and left, there wasn't anything at his compound except some garbage and a few dead bodies."

"Shit." Misato said. "Do you know where he went?"

"Not a clue, but we'll find him eventually." Kaji said. "That is if I'm still allowed to look… Commander…"

"Well… Colonel… I don't see why not as long as it doesn't interfere with your regular duties." Misato replied.

"Sure, I think I can work around that." Kaji said. "But, can we work around each other?"

"I… what?" Misato asked.

"Can we work around each other?" Kaji repeated. "I mean, with our history."

"I mean… that probably…" Misato stammered. "Maybe… we just need to…"

"Katsuragi, relax." Kaji said. "What are you trying to say?"

"Ryoji…" Misato said. "If there's going to be… if we're ever going to get back together, you… you need to promise me something."

"Promise what?" Kaji asked.

"Promise me that you're never going to disappear on me again." Misato said. "No more hiding like a jerk in the woods… promise me you'll never leave me again…"

"Misato, I told you before, if I had to do this over again, I wouldn't have gone into hiding for three years." Kaji replied. "I'm not going anywhere… and that's a promise."

"Good." Misato replied. "But, if we're doing this, we're going to do it right… we're going to take it slow."

"How slow?" Kaji asked.

"Like we just started dating for the first time." Misato said. "Like you're taking me out on a date this Saturday."

"A date, huh?" Kaji asked. "That does sound nice… we can celebrate your newest promotion."

"And we can celebrate your return from the grave." Misato said.

"So, when do I start work?" Kaji asked.

"This Sunday." Misato said. "I should be able to arrange everything by then."

"So, does this mean you have to go?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah… I need to get home." Misato said as she got up. "You just have to hide out for a few more days, ok?"

"I did it for three years, a few more days won't kill me." Kaji replied as he followed Misato to the door.

"One more thing before I leave." Misato said nervously. "I want you to know… well, that I… even after you were gone…" Misato leaned in and kissed Kaji gently on the cheek. "I love you." Misato whispered.

"I know." Kaji whispered back. "I never stopped loving you either, Katsuragi…"

–––

Mari had been avoiding Rei for over a week. However, with Rei's apology of sorts in mind, Mari needed to try and set things straight with the girl she loved. So, Mari decided to try and talk to Rei again, this time at school, and preferably without going off the handle. Mari took her chance, and asked Hikari to set it up so that the two f them would clean the classroom together. Hikari agreed, and when the final bell rang, Mari's stomach began fluttering.

 ** _Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding_**

'This was a bad idea…' Mari thought. 'I'm totally going to fuck this up…'

"Rise… Bow… Sit!" Hikari said as the teacher left the room for the day and the class began to leave. Hikari pointed to Mari as Rei walked over to her.

"Ok you two, you're cleaning today." Hikari said. "Sorry Rei, I have to get home early."

"I will be fine." Rei replied. "I could just clean alone."

"Mari can help you." Hikari said. "It's a team effort, and I'm not going to pair you up with Shinji again."

"Very well." Rei said as she left the room. "I shall go collect the bucket and mop."

"Mari, don't mess this up." Hikari said as Rei disappeared from sight. "You can't afford to hide out and miss on _even more_ school." Hikari warned.

"Thanks, mom." Mari said sarcastically. "Don't worry… I know what I did wrong last time…"

"You're still ambushing her, Mari." Hikari said.

"Yeah, but I just need to set things straight." Mari said. "I'm tired of always waiting… she needs to know how I feel… in case anything… happens."

"Fine, just don't be mean." Hikari said as she handed Mari a broom and dustpan. "And you owe me."

"We can settle up later, freckles." Mari replied. "Now get out of here."

"Right, see you later." Hikari said as she left.

As Hikari left, Rei came back with a full bucket of water and the mop. "Why haven't you swept yet?" Rei asked.

"I uh… hold on a sec." Mari said as she slowly started sweeping. 'Shit, shit, shit!' Mari thought frantically. 'Say something Mari! Stop being an idiot!'

"Then I will deal with the chalk board while I wait." Rei said impatiently.

"Sorry…" Mari muttered. 'Who am I, Shinji?' Mari thought.

"Just clean." Rei said. "I would rather this not go on longer than it needs to."

"Rei… I… can I tell you something?" Mari stammered.

Rei sighed deeply. "Go ahead."

"I'm sorry about the other day." Mari said. "I hadn't slept… and I know that's not an excuse… but I should have gone about asking you about us differently…"

"Mari, I've said I don't want to talk about this." Rei said. "And I also overreacted the other day, which I've apologized for."

"Why?" Mari asked. "Because it makes you uncomfortable?"

"I don't know what it makes me feel…" Rei replied. "Even with onii–chan and Asuka's help, I still don't understand a lot of my feelings."

"Rei, a lot of adults go their whole lives without understanding their emotions." Mari said. "That's nothing to be upset about."

"Yes, but I still don't understand what I feel for you." Rei said. "I don't like seeing you cry, but I know you lied to me about loving me… so I just feel so much… it confuses me…"

"Look, Rei, I can't lie and say I never loved Yui." Mari said. "I do love her, but she's gone. When I first saw you, I thought you looked familiar… but after meeting you, you're a lot different than Yui… you might be a clone of her, but all the time we spent together showed me how much of a different person you are from your mother. I fell in love with you because you were being yourself, being blunt about everything, being so sweet, and always asking questions. I fell in love with you, not her. Whenever I was with you, I never thought about Yui. You were the only person I saw, Rei Ayanami Ikari."

'What is this warm feeling I have…?' Rei thought. "I… I don't know what to say…" Rei said. "You never thought about my mother when we were together?"

"No… I was too focused on you." Mari said. "Whenever I was with you, the pain I felt at being lost in time kinda went away…" Mari sniffled. "I guess it was a bit selfish to be with you because you made my pain go away… but I didn't find out about you being Yui's clone until after I fell in love with you… and that didn't change how I felt… even after seeing… all that carnage…" Mari shuttered.

"I do not believe it is selfish to be with someone that makes you feel happy or safe." Rei said. "But what carnage… do you mean my freedom from immortality?" Rei asked. "I'm sorry you had to watch Akagi do that… it must have been… unsettling."

"It was awful!" Mari sobbed. "It was like I was watching you die a hundred times over!"

"But did you view me differently after finding out?" Rei asked.

"No… I understood why you looked so much like Yui, but beyond that… I could care less that you were cloned, it doesn't change the fact that I love you." Mari explained.

"Even after all that…" Rei said. "You still… you still love me."

"Of course." Mari said. "Why would that ever change?"

"Because of how I've treated you the last three years…" Rei said. "I've ignored you and treated your presence with contempt. That was unfair of me… I didn't mean to cause you more pain…"

"Thank you…" Mari mumbled. "But…"

"But what?" Rei asked.

'I can't hold back now…' Mari thought. "What I wanted to ask you was… is there any chance at all of us…" Mari stammered. "Is there any chance at us getting back together?"

'Is there?' Rei thought. 'I haven't thought about it before now… perhaps…' Rei looked at Mari's face. The longer she stayed silent, the more defeated she looked. "I don't know." Rei said. "What you've said today… it does sound like you love me… but I'm not ready to go back to being together… we weren't ever really a couple before Armisael. I'm not the Rei you fell in love with…"

"It doesn't matter which body you're in Rei." Mari said. "I fell in love with your mind and soul, not your body… you _are_ the Rei I knew, you haven't changed."

Rei blushed. "But… we still weren't a couple." Rei rebutted.

"I know, but we were going to be." Mari said. "All I'm asking is if there's a chance… even if it's tiny…"

"There is." Rei replied. "I still don't trust you… and I still need to understand myself before we can be together."

"So does that mean we're friends again?" Mari asked.

"Yes, we are friends again." Rei replied.

"Can I… give you a hug?" Mari asked.

Rei looked at her. "I don't see why not…" Rei said as Mari squeezed her tightly. "Huh…"

"What is it?" Mari asked.

"I feel as though I've missed this." Rei said quietly as she hugged Mari back.

"So have I Rei…" Mari mumbled. "So have I…"

After a minute of embracing each other as friends, Rei remembered what they were supposed to be doing. "Uh, Mari… we still have a room to clean…" Rei said.

"Oh… right…" Mari grumbled. "Uh… I'll finish sweeping."

"And I will finish the chalkboard." Rei replied. "If we focus, we can finish quickly."

"Can we walk home together?" Mari asked.

"I don't see why not." Rei said.

"Yeah, but we can talk about stuff, right?" Mari asked. "Not about us I mean… just… talk."

"Of course." Rei replied. "We're friends again, aren't we?"

"Yeah… yeah we are…" Mari said happily.

* * *

April 26, 2020 – NERV HQ

Kaji was sitting quietly in Misato's office. He had gotten a ride into NERV from her, so that her announcement as Commander and his reappearance would be kept as secret as possible.

"So, are you ready for this?" Misato asked.

"Yeah." Kaji replied. "It'll be nice to not be dead again."

"That and you don't have to keep hiding in you apartment."

"And that." Kaji said. "But I'm going to keep staying there if that's ok."

"Why?" Misato asked.

"I thought we were taking things slow." Kaji replied.

"Well yeah, but after our date last night…" Misato said. "I kinda don't want to wait anymore."

"Wow, I was that good, huh?" Kaji asked.

"The date was that good, pal." Misato replied. "But it reminded me about everything we've missed the past three years."

"Well, I won't say I didn't think the same thing." Kaji said. "I just wanted to respect what you said by not… going to fast."

"Well, if you want to move in, you can." Misato said. "It'd be nice…"

"How about one more date before I move back, Misato." Kaji said.

"Wow… restraint…" Misato said.

"I know it's a surprise." Kaji replied.

"A nice surprise." Misato said. "I'm not mad though. Waiting isn't such a bad thing."

"But you're disappointed." Kaji said.

"Well… it would be nice to not sleep alone anymore." Misato replied.

"Hey, you can come down and visit… where the kids won't hear us." Kaji suggested.

"You're a bad influence." Misato joked.

"I'm the bad influence?" Kaji asked. "I've been dead for three years."

Misato shook her head. "Yeah, you're fine…"

"So, who else are giving promotions to?" Kaji asked. "Besides me that is."

"Well, something has to be a surprise for you doesn't it?" Misato asked. "So, are you ready to go downstairs?"

"Yeah, why not." Kaji said. "Let's get this show on the road."

–––

It was still early at NERV. Everyone in the Command Center was going about their usual jobs, looking for any signs of Angelic activity. Sumire was in her usual spot, but because it was still early, Sumire was in charge of the Command Center while everyone else was still off duty. Replacing Aoba at his usual spot was Second Lieutenant Midori Kitakami, and in Hyuga's usual seat was First Lieutenant Hideki Tama.

"Why is this so boring?" Midori asked.

"Because we're at work." Hideki replied. "It's not supposed to be easy, we're looking for Angels trying to kill us."

"Well maybe that last one was it." Midori said hopefully.

"Doubt it." Sumire replied. "They're be more soon enough, it's only a matter of time."

"Why so negative?" Midori asked.

"It's just something you fall into here." Sumire said. "Hope for the best and expect the worst. That should be NERV's new motto."

"Well, it sounds like you had a fun night." Hyuga said as he walked in hand in hand with Aoba. "No activity I hope?"

"None we could find." Sumire said. "So we're good for now."

"Well, Hideki, Midori, you're relieved." Aoba said. "You can home and sleep."

"I however get to finish my double shift." Sumire said angrily.

"Well, if it helps we don't want to be here either." Asuka grumbled as the four kids walked in. "It's too early to be here…"

"I know what you mean, princess…" Mari muttered. "Need to sleep…"

"Why are you here so early?" Hyuga asked. "You're not due here until later."

"Well Colonel pain in the ass told us to be here early." Mari said. "Something about big news or whatever…"

"Perhaps if you went to bed earlier, you'd be awake at this hour." Rei said.

"Rei, I stay up late because I have things to do." Mari said.

"Like what?" Shinji asked.

"Things, puppy." Mari replied.

"Oh…" Shinji replied.

"Gross." Asuka exclaimed.

"Oh, relax princess." Mari said.

"Guys, it's too early to argue." Shinji said.

"Yeah, fine." Asuka said.

"Sure." Mari replied.

"Oh, you're here early." Maya said as she entered.

"We know, we just complained about that." Asuka said.

"Well, Misato said there was some kind of big news." Maya said. "Glad you were able to make it in?"

"Any idea what it's about?" Shinji asked.

"Nope, she just told me to be here." Maya said "I just wish it was on a different day…"

"Maya, it could be worse." Misato said as she entered. "Your work will be there when you return."

"Yes, but…" Maya protested.

"Maya, I'll explain everything in a moment." Misato said. "Just relax."

"Yes, Colonel." Maya said.

"So why did you call us here?" Asuka asked.

"To make several announcements." Misato said. "The first of which was a big surprise to me, but I'm no less thrilled to be given the opportunity."

"Well…?" Hyuga asked.

"The United Nations, after careful thought, and in response to the most recent Angel attack have named be Commander of NERV, with full authority over us without the U.N. being able to butt in all the time."

"Congratulations." Shinji said happily.

"Congratulations." Maya said proudly.

"Congratulations." Rei said.

"Congratulations." Hyuga said exuberantly.

"Congratulations." Aoba said.

"Ok, enough with that word." Misato said. "I feel like it's been overdone."

"Congratulations." Mari said sarcastically.

"Mari!" Misato snapped.

"Totally worth it." Mari replied.

"Moving on… with my promotion, that means I'm no longer running a temporary agency, and I can no longer do all sorts of stuff I'm used to doing. But now, I can actually appoint people properly now." Misato explained. "So we have five vacant Division Director positions to fill."

"Oh, crap…" Asuka muttered.

"First, the obvious choice, for Scientific Division Director, Major Maya Ibuki." Misato said proudly.

"Wait, I'm being promoted too?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, it's within my authority to do so." Misato said. "You deserve it Maya."

"Thank you so much Col… I mean Commander." Maya said.

"Now, the Technical Division Director will be Koji Takao… same promotion to Major as Maya, and we'll tell him when he gets back from the U.S." Misato said.

"Well that sucks." Hideki said. "It's a shame he can't hear it in person."

"I don't think he'll mind so much. He's literally the only candidate wort considering." Misato replied. "As for the Intelligence Division Director, Major Makoto Hyuga will be taking command."

"Me, Commander?" Hyuga asked.

"Yes, it's all yours, Hyuga." Misato said proudly. "You have a knack for finding things out others would rather keep hidden."

"I won't let you down, Commander." Hyuga replied happily.

"And for the Security Division Director, Major Shigeru Aoba will take charge." Misato said.

"Seriously, me?" Aoba asked.

"Yes, you were always a crack shot, and you did a great job coordinating the defense during the attack on the Geofront." Misato said. "You are a damn fine person to have around in a crisis."

"Thank you, Commander!" Aoba replied happily.

"What about the bridge staff, Commander?" Sumire asked.

"Right!" Misato exclaimed. "Sumire, that means you, Midori, and Hideki here are the senior bridge staff. You'll be on call for any Angel attack." Misato explained. "It's a big responsibility, I know, but I think you can handle it. Sumire, you'll be he one in charge of the three of you, understood?"

"Of course, Commander." Sumire said happily.

"Ma'am…" Hideki said glumly.

"Yes, ma'am!" Midori said kindly.

"Wait, isn't there a Tactical Division Director?" Hyuga asked. "Who's that going to be?"

"Oh, well the Tactical Division Director is someone we all know but may not all necessary love…" Misato said cryptically. "Colonel Ryoji Kaji."

"Colonel… who?" Hyuga asked.

"Did she say Kaji?" Aoba asked.

"Isn't he like… dead or something?" Hideki asked.

"Seriously?" Asuka muttered.

"Commander, are you ok?" Sumire asked.

"Oh, I'm fine." Misato said happily. "Kai, where the hell are you?"

"Up here like you told me to be, Commander." Kaji said as he appeared on the Commander's platform high above them. "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

"What the shit…?" Hyuga said.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Aoba asked.

"He is supposed to be dead, right?" Sumire asked.

"He was in hiding on a mission for the past three years, working secretly with the U.N." Misato explained. "Kaji being declared missing and presumed dead was part of his cover."

"Well… shit…" Maya muttered.

"Let me guess, his mission and its details are classified." Hyuga said.

"That's the long and the short of it." Misato replied.

"Wait… isn't that Misato's old job?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, which makes Kaji our new boss…" Shinji replied.

"Awesome!" Mari said. "He's a lot less strict than she is."

"Don't be so sure." Asuka said.

"So, any other surprises?" Maya asked knowingly.

"Maya, that's a silly thing for you to be asking." Misato said. "You already know that Unit–05 and Unit–07 are here."

"They're what?!" Mari shouted excitedly.

"Yep, your news EVAs are here." Misato said happily. "They arrived yesterday at New Yokosuka, and were delivered early this morning."

"Can we go see them?!" Mari asked excitedly.

"Mari, relax." Shinji said.

"Why, this is awesome, I have an Evangelion again!" Mari said.

"Yeah, just don't carelessly blow it up like the last one four eyes." Asuka said snidely.

"I also blew mine up…" Rei muttered.

"Oh… wundergirl… sorry…" Asuka said.

"It's alright, Asuka." Rei said. "The loss was worth the gain."

"Well, I think that's enough announcements for one day." Misato said. "Maya, bring the pilots down to the Cage, The Colonel and I will meet you there."

"Aye, Commander." Maya said. "Come on kids, looks like there's a bit of a detour before we get to your sync tests."

–––

As the kids entered the Cage with Maya, Mari couldn't contain herself. When they entered all they could see were Unit–01 and Unit–02 in their usual positions, but the new Evangelions weren't being held there.

"What gives?" Mari asked. "Where is my new EVA?"

"It's in one of the isolation Cages." Maya replied. "As is Rei's new EVA."

"Why?" Mari asked.

"They need to be outfitted with Cores, S2 Engines, have diagnostic and activation tests done, let alone be painted…" Maya rattled off.

"Can we choose the color?!" Mari asked more loudly than she meant to.

"I don't see why not…" Maya said. "Pending the Commander's approval of course."

"Damn it…" Mari said defeatedly. "Don't even bother…"

"Don't bother with what?" Misato asked as she and Kaji walked in.

"Mari wanted to customize her EVA's paint job." Maya explained.

"Well, unless she wants a huge penis painted on, I think we can handle that, do you agree Colonel?" Misato said.

"I agree, Commander." Kaji replied. "It's good for morale after all."

"Really?" Mari asked.

"You have my permission, Maya." Misato said.

"So, what color would you two like for your EVAs?" Maya asked.

"Can we see them first before we have them painted?" Rei asked.

"But…" Mari grumbled.

"Sure." Maya replied as she began to walk through the Cage's catwalks. "Follow me."

"It's been a while since we've had some new arrivals." Misato said.

"How well did that go the last time?" Asuka asked. "Didn't the _five_ of us almost die?"

"I didn't say it was a perfect situation." Misato replied. "But we've got five Evangelions again… that's a lot of power in one place."

"Five?" Shinji asked. "You mean four."

"No… Unit–01, Unit–02, Unit–03, Unit–05, and Unit–07." Misato rattled off.

"Oh… you mean four and a half, right?" Mari asked. "Isn't Unit–03 still broken or whatever?"

"It's actually mostly repaired." Maya said. "It's taken a lot of care, but Unit–03 will eventually be able to fight again."

"With who piloting?" Rei asked.

"That's something for me and Kaji to decide." Misato said as Maya stopped.

"Here we are." Maya said, gesturing her left. "Unit–05, and Unit–07."

In front of them stood two brand new Evangelions. Their armor was unpainted, and was a dull silver color. Both Evangelions looked like carbon copies of Unit–02, something that didn't go unnoticed by a certain redhead.

"Hey… they look like my Unit–02…" Asuka said angrily. "What gives?"

"They're using the same genetic sample that grew into Unit–02." Maya explained. "I believe you mother created it, Adam Sample A."

"Adam Sample A?" Asuka asked.

"Well, Adam and Lilith are the genetic baselines for Evangelions." Maya explained. "While Unit–01 is a clone grown from Lilith, Unit–00 was grown from a complete, but corrupted sample of Adam, which had to be fixed before the Evangelions went into full production. The team in Germany led by your mother made Sample A from 95% Adam/5% Lilith DNA mixture. The U.S. team which ended up creating Unit–03 and Unit–04 seven years later used a 95% Adam/5% Human DNA mixture and called it Sample B."

"So those look more human because there's Human DNA?" Mari asked.

"Yeah…" Maya said. "And Unit–XP used a 90% Adam mix with 10% of unknown genetic material. It's amazing how similar our DNA is to them that our genes can be used to modify the genetic code effectively."

"Yeah, I was gonna say that's some fucked up shit." Asuka quipped.

"Well, we were created from Lilith." Kaji said. "And if Adam and Lilith were the same species, we would be very close genetically to the Angels, like cousins, right Maya?"

"Exactly." Maya said.

"Besides, it doesn't really matter now." Misato said. "Seven Evangelions are in existence, we've got five here under our roof, and the other two will be here in the next month or so."

"Why only seven?" Shinji asked.

"No idea." Misato said. "The decision to resume production came from the old U.N. Security Council that replaced those bastards from SEELE. Not a question worth asking about."

"Well, what if it has to do with another Impact?" Shinji asked.

"Even if it does, I think we know how to avoid those by now." Misato said.

"Do we though?" Maya asked. "We're still not sure how the last one started."

"I thought it was a combination of things like Lilith and Unit–01's high sync score." Misato said.

"We're still not even sure if that's the only reason." Maya said. "And we probably never will."

"So Commander, who's assigned to what?" Kaji asked. "That way I know going forward."

"Yeah, we don't even know which ones we're assigned to."

"Well, Mari, seeing as Unit–05 was built in the U.K. at the Fourth Branch in London, I thought it would be appropriate for you to pilot this one."

"Thanks, miso!" Mari said excitedly.

"And Rei, Unit–07's your new EVA." Misato explained. "It was built in Israel at the Sixteenth Branch in Tel Aviv."

"Thank you, Commander." Rei said.

"So what color do you guys want?" Maya asked.

"PINK!" Mari shouted.

"Ok…" Maya said as she rubbed her ear. "What about you Rei?"

"The old color scheme for Unit–00 would be nice to see again." Rei said. "I liked the blue."

"Pink and blue it is then." Maya said. "Once the technical stuff is done, we'll paint them. Should be ready for activations tests within the week, Commander."

"Good." Misato replied. "Now that that's over with…"

"Wait, how did you get them here?" Shinji asked. "You said they came to New Yokosuka."

"I did." Misato replied.

"Why? Isn't that a naval base?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah, didn't you learn boats were a bad thing the first time?" Asuka asked.

"This time we used two Wasp–class amphibious assault ships." Misato said. "Their well decks were just big enough, and the EVAs just fit."

"Well that was dumb." Mari said. "What if an Angel had attacked like last time?"

"The Angel wasn't chasing Unit–02 last time." Kaji said. "Gaghiel was after the Adam embryo I had with me."

"Oh… I assumed…" Asuka began. "Ya know…"

"Still, you two did a wonderful job at stopping Gaghiel." Kaji said.

"Anyway, now that you've seen the new EVAs, it's time for your sync tests." Misato ordered. "The colonel and the Major will supervise. I unfortunately have paperwork to deal with…"

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown, Commander." Kaji joked.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Misato said. "Don't have too much fun without me."

"Oh, we won't." Asuka joked. "Sync tests suck."

April 28, 2020 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Kaji was coming back from a long day at work. With this only being his third day officially back in the real world, he was still uneasy with being so out in the open like he was, travelling during the daytime and interacting with people normally, he'd gotten used to roughing it in the three years he spent in the woods. As he got out of the car he looked around, with his hand undoing the clasp holding his pistol in its holster, but he saw that no one else was around.

"Well, I'll get used to being normal again." Kaji muttered as he re–secured is weapon. "Eventually…"

Kaji walked up the stairs to his apartment rather than taking the elevator, and when he got to the door, he saw a note had been taped there in handwriting he recognized as Shinji's.

" _Hi Kaji,_

 _I'm making dinner tonight and was hoping you could join us for the evening. Misato said your shift ends early enough that you should be home before it's ready. I also think Asuka would be happy if you visited. Anyway, hope to see you tonight._

 _~Shinji_ "

"Nice of him to offer me dinner." Kaji said. "I'm suspicious, but what's the harm."

Kaji went back to the stairs and walked up to their apartment. It was the first time he'd been up there, as Misato had been visiting him exclusively in the old apartment. When he rang the bel, he was greeted by Asuka, who looked absolutely delighted to see him.

"Hi, Kaji." Asuka said happily. "I'm glad you made it up here."

"Why the big fuss?" Kaji asked. "It's only dinner."

"Well, you haven't come to see us at all since you and Misato started up again." Asuka said scoldingly. "We've missed you too, you know."

"Well, now that I have a job and everything, you'll see more of me." Kaji replied.

"Yeah, but that's no fun." Asuka said as she led Kaji down the hallway. "So, Shinji had the idea to invite you up here."

"For dinner." Kaji said.

"No, for a party dummy." Asuka said as she got Kaji to the kitchen where Shinji, Mari, rei, Misato, Maya, Hyuga, Aoba, Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, Sakura, and Pen–Pen were waiting.

"You've got to be kidding…" Kaji said as he saw a banner hung from the ceiling that read "WELCOME BACK FROM THE DEAD!" in bright red letters. "Guys, you didn't have to go through all this trouble."

"Well it was worth it." Misato said. "Everyone's here to celebrate your safe return."

"Yeah, you were gone on a mission for three whole years!" Aoba said. "It must be nice to be back."

"You guys have no idea…" Kaji said.

"So, did you see everything about Third Impact?" Kensuke asked.

"Well, I was able to see some of it on TV before the feed got cut." Kaji said.

"Who cares about that?" Hyuga said. "What were you doing for those three years?"

"Well, that's classified Major, and well above your paygrade." Kaji said.

"Come on, you can tell us, Mr. Kaji." Sakura said.

"Sorry kid, if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Kaji joked.

"Hey, enough about him." Misato said. "We came here for a party right?" Everyone murmured in agreement. "Well then, let's party!"

–––

Several hours later, the party had dispersed. Hyuga, Aoba, and Maya had al left a little while before, and Misato and Kaji had "retired" to her bedroom. However, with the amount of partying going on, and with Misato having brought out so much liquor, some of it going missing went unnoticed. Mari had snuck a few bottles of sake away before anyone noticed and shared them with Toji, Kensuke, Rei, and Asuka. As Shinji and Hikari were cleaning up thy noticed the empty bottles scattered around their friends.

"Oh boy…" Shinji said.

"Not again…" Hikari said.

Shinji nudged Asuka with his foot, but all she did was grumble incoherently. Hikari poked Toji in the face to try and wake him up to no avail.

"Who grabbed all this?" Hikari asked.

"Probably Mari." Shinji said. "She has a knack for stealing Misato's booze."

"We should have watched them more carefully…" Hikari said.

"We're not their supervisors." Shinji said. "It's all on them when they get hungover."

"Well, poor Rei, one drink and she's down for the night." Hikari said as Sakura walked into the room.

"Hey Toji, it's getting late…" Sakura began before she noticed her passed out brother on the floor. "Holy shit, he's drunk, isn't he?"

"Yeah." Hikari said.

"And Kenny–kun too?" Sakura asked.

"Yep." Shinji replied.

"Dumbass." Sakura muttered as she shook him. "We were supposed to be making out…"

"Well, what are we going to do?" Shinji asked.

"Roll them on their sides and make a lot of noise when they wake up all hung over." Hikari replied. "That'll teach them."

* * *

May 4, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Senior High School, Class 3–A

It was Monday once again. After an exciting day of class where someone got violently ill from something they ate at lunch, the rest of the class had been sent to the cafeteria to study quietly while cleaners worked to decontaminate the classroom. Everyone split into small groups, as requested, with Shinji, Kensuke, and Toji sitting together, and Mari, Asuka, Rei and Hikari sitting together. As they sat there, Hikari motioned to Asuka to follow her to the bathroom. As the pair left, Hikari's usually calm face was replaced with worry. When they got to the bathroom, Hikari bent down to see if anyone else was in there with the, and found no one else was in the bathroom.

"Asuka, is what Kensuke was saying earlier true?" Hikari asked. "About there being five Evangelions…"

"Yeah, that's true Hikari." Asuka said. "Two new ones were delivered last week for Mari and Rei." Asuka looked worriedly at her friend. "What's it matter?"

"Well… there's five EVAs now, right?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, but only four are operational." Asuka replied.

"What about… Unit–03…" Hikari asked nervously.

"It's still getting fixed… oh…" Asuka said, realizing why Ikari was panicking. "You don't mean…"

"Are they going to make Toji pilot again?" Hikari asked.

"No, it'll just be a spare." Asuka said. "There were only ever four of us, we can handle anything that comes our way."

"But, he's the pilot for that thing, right?" Hikari asked. "What if they made him pilot it again?"

"I don't think they will, Hikari." Asuka said. "You're worrying over nothing."

"Have they said that though?" Hikari asked. "Did Misato and Kaji say you're the only pilots?"

'Shit, have they?' Asuka thought. 'Still, if I don't calm her down, she's gonna have a mental breakdown…' Asuka sighed. "Well, they did say they were backup Evangelions, so they shouldn't have permanent pilots assigned to them."

"You're sure?" Hikari asked.

"Absolutely." Asuka said convincingly.

"That's a relief…" Hikari said. "I don't think I could handle him being a pilot again… it was bad enough the first time before we were dating, then to almost… lose him…" Hikari shuttered. "I'm not as strong as you Asuka, I don't ever want to think about losing him again." Hikari chuckled. "You and Shinji both risk your lives, and I'm here complaining about something that happened three years ago…"

"Well, Shinji and I have each other out there to rely on." Asuka explained. "And I'm always concerned he's gonna do something risky like he's always done… but he worries that I'll do the same thing. It's not easy on any of us." Asuka hugged her fired tightly. "And you're not complaining, it's a valid question to be concerned about."

"Well… I honestly don't think Toji could ever get near an Evangelion again." Hikari said. "I mean… if Shinji hadn't gotten control back… Toji… he would've… he'd have…"

"Hikari, stop doing this to yourself." Asuka said. "You're driving yourself crazy over something that never happened. He could have died, but he was lucky not to." Asuka shrugged. "I don't want to be in an Evangelion either, but I'm there, and I did die."

"I know…" Hikari said nervously. "We all… saw…"

"And you know what, baka Shinji saved my ass too." Asuka said. "Kaji says it best… Shinji has one skill the rest of us don't have… luck, and it always seems to be on his side."

"Well, what if it runs out?"

"Then the world would probably, literally, end." Asuka joked. "But if Misato or Kaji wants to make Toji pilot again, I promise you Hikari, I'll tell them both to shove that recommendation so far up their ass, that they'll choke on it."

Hikari chuckled. "Thanks, Asuka." Hikari said.

"So, are you feeling less neurotic now?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, a bit." Hikari replied. "You know, we should probably get back before someone notices we've been gone this long."

"What are they going to do, ask us why we were in the bathroom?" Asuka asked.

"Maybe." Hikari said.

"Well, if anyone does ask, I'm telling them I had "lady problems" to shut them the hell up." Asuka said. "That always makes people feel awkward."

–––

Things were quiet in the Command Center. Kaji was sitting in a new chair set against the back wall on a slightly raised platform that gave him an unobstructed view of the main display screen in front of him. Kaji had been on the job a week, and while everything had been running smoothly, his instincts kept telling him the other shoe was bound to drop eventually. On the main screen he was staring at, several windows were open, monitoring various satellites, ground cameras, sensor arrays, and radio chatter across the planet. The new bridge bunnies were hard at work trying to keep up with the massive amount of information that was being processed and spit out of the MAGI.

"Everything still clear, Sumire?" Kaji asked.

"From the looks of it Colonel." Sumire replied. "Screens are showing nothing out of the ordinary."

"Well, we can't rest on our laurels." Kaji said. "Have you run a wave form spectrum scan recently?"

"Not in the last few hours." Sumire said.

"Has the new program been set up to do block scanning?" Kaji asked.

"I've been working on it, but it hasn't been tested yet." Hideki reported. "We can test it if you'd like, sir."

"Yeah, let's test it." Kaji said. "How many of the sensor relays can be done at once?" Kaji asked.

"Several hundred." Hideki replied.

"How large of an area is that?" Kaji asked.

"We could scan all of Japan and the surrounding ocean at once and have the live feedback sent to us here." Hideki said.

"Well, let's test it in our neck of the woods first." Kaji said. "Seeing as we're so lucky to have the Angels come and visit us."

"Sir, why don't we let the passive scanning alert like usual, Colonel?" Midori asked.

"Because the passive scanning doesn't always pick things up, and the non–connectivity of our old network leads me to believe that SEELE didn't want us to find the Angels sooner." Kaji said. "And if we find them sooner, maybe we can find out where the Angels are coming from."

"That's going to be difficult, sir." Sumire said. "We've never been able to ascertain their exact origin beyond who create them."

"I know, but maybe if we have more time to track them, we can intercept them further away from the city." Kaji said. "And not always be at risk of getting wiped off the map."

"That does seem like a good plan…" Midori said quietly.

"I know." Kaji replied. "Let's just hope we can actually find them sooner. Hideki, are you ready to initiate the scan?"

"Yes, Colonel." Hideki replied. "Beginning scan."

The scan began, and the main screen displayed the area surrounding Japan. The sensor relays were all actively pinging for the presence of any Angels. As each of the sensors checked its area, Kaji watched nervously, hoping that nothing would show up. A blip showed up on the screen, just off the coast near the ruins of Old Tokyo.

"What's that blip?" Kaji asked.

"Uh… an anomaly, sir." Sumire said. "No pattern has been positively identified."

"An anomaly?" Kaji asked. "It's not returning anything?"

"Not even the default Pattern Orange, sir."

"Confirm, no lock on Pattern Analysis." Hideki

"Well, that's a good sign." Midori said.

"Yeah, not so much." Kaji said. "Sumire, track that anomaly. Hideki, contact the JSSDF, I want a recon plane to go and see what that thing is. Midori, set Level–3 battle stations."

"Yes, Colonel." Midori said worriedly.

"Aye, sir!" Hideki said enthusiastically.

"Colonel, what about the pilots?" Sumire asked.

"Until that becomes a thing, we don't need to call them." Kaji said. "I'm going to go down and talk to Maya though… nothing wrong with being prepared."  
–––

School had ended for the day and the kids were walking home. As Toji, Hikari, Kensuke, and Sakura split off to go towards their own apartment block, they waived goodbye to each other and the four pilots continued their long walk home. Asuka, still worried about the conversation she had with Hikari earlier, decided she should bring it up and see if she was overthinking things.

"Uh, guys." Asuka said. "What do think's going to happen with the other Evangelions?"

"Spare parts maybe?" Mari said. "Why?"

"Well, Hikari's worried about Toji having to pilot again." Asuka said. "She was freaking out about it earlier in the bathroom."

"Is that why you disappeared earlier?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, Hikari wanted to talk in private." Asuka said.

"I still don't understand the reason why girls have to have private conversations in the bathroom." Rei said. "It seems… contrary to the point of a private conversation."

"Well, it's somewhere where people can't overhear you." Asuka replied. "Besides it was empty."

"Yes, but anyone could walk in, negating the privacy." Rei said. "There would have been better options, like a shed, or locked room."

"Ok, Rei, I'm asking about the possibility of Toji being a pilot." Asuka said seriously. "We can talk about conversations in bathrooms later."

"Alright." Rei replied. "I was just curious."

"Well, would it be so bad to have more pilots help us?" Shinji asked.

"We don't need more help." Asuka said. "We're fine on our own."

"Princess, more help isn't necessarily a bad thing." Mari said. "But I don't think I'd want anyone we know being the new pilots… it'd be weird."

"I know." Asuka said. "But I feel like I lied to Hikari by saying it wasn't going to happen."

"You didn't lie." Shinji said. "We really don't know what's going to happen."

"Why don't we just ask Misato tonight?" Rei asked. "What's the harm in that?"

"Ignorance is bliss…" Asuka muttered.

"Well, I would rather know if we're to have more pilots assisting us, or if we're just supposed to ignore the fact that three more Evangelions will be sitting pilotless in NERV's basement with no apparent use other than to collect dust."

"Ok we'll ask her." Asuka said. "What's gotten into you, wundergirl, you're being so aggressive today."

"I'm just tired and worried." Rei said.

"Why?" Shinji asked.

"Because there are now seven Evangelions, yet the threat of the Angels is supposed to have long passed." Rei explained. "I feel that the past is going to come back and haunt us with more Angels."

Kaji had just gotten back to the Command Center. He had been down with Maya, asking her to get the Evangelions ready for deployment. As Kaji sat back down, he looked at the main screen and saw the anomaly they were tracking had moved closer to shore near the ruins of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture.

"Has the JSSDF reported in?" Kaji asked.

"They have three recons planes combing the area, but they haven't spotted anything yet." Hideki reported. "I'm giving them the updated tracking information, but they can't seem to find it. It's almost like it isn't there."

"They are over water, correct?" Kaji asked.

"Yes, sir." Hideki replied.

"Then they need to search under the water, don't they?" Kaji asked.

"But sir…" Hideki began.

"The JSSDF have underwater drones, do they not?" Kaji asked.

"Well, yes sir." Hideki replied.

"Have them deploy a drone or two." Kaji suggested.

"Understood." Hideki replied.

"Midori, have you contacted the Commander?" Kaji asked.

"She said she would be down shortly." Midori replied. "Something about paperwork, or something of the like."

"Alright then." Kaji said. "Sumire, can you give me the status of the city's defenses."

"AIS is offline, but fully operational, with a full load out of ammunition." Sumire said. "Evangelions are being readied for launch, and all tactical VTOL and fighter squadrons are on standby."

"Good." Kaji said. "At least we're prepared if something happens."

"Does that imply you predecessor _wasn't_ prepared?" Misato asked as she entered the Commander's deck and looked down at them.

"No, you always got warning far too late to do any real good." Kaji said. "If whatever this is turns out to be an Angel, I want to keep the civilian population out of harm's way by engaging it outside the city."

"That's a sound plan." Misato said. "But you still haven't identified it as a threat, have you?" Misato asked.

"Not as of yet, no." Kaji replied. "The JSSDF is working on identifying, right Hideki?"

"Yes, sir." Hideki replied. "The JSSDF have dropped several underwater drones, and they are nearly at the site of the anomaly."

"Put their camera feeds on the main screen." Kaji ordered.

"Aye, sir." Hideki replied as the three drone feeds popped up on the screen. Kaji and Misato looked on and saw the outlines of the submerged buildings come out of the murky water's background and come into view, yet they couldn't see anything else.

"That's a lot of sediment getting moved around for relatively calm waters…" Kaji said.

"There's something big moving through there." Misato said.

"Midori set Level–2 battle stations." Kaji ordered.

"Colonel?" Midori asked.

"It's ok, Midori, there's clearly something under there, we just don't know what." Misato said. "Carry out the Colonel's orders."

"So Commander, do you think it's an Angel?" Kaji asked.

"I don't know, but you're right to be worried." Misato said as they noticed a large, round shadow emerging from the murky water as the feed started to get interlaced with static.

"Uh… sir, what is that?" Sumire asked.

"No idea." Kaji said. "Hideki, have the drone run a wave form scan."

"I can't sir, I'm getting some kind of interference." Hideki said.

"What kind of interference?" Misato asked.

"Electromagnetic." Hideki replied. "It seems to be coming from the anomaly."

"Would that interfere with the senor relays?" Kaji asked.

"It's a possibility, Colonel." Sumire replied. "The salt water is a good conductor, so depending on the size of this thing, it could interfere with the sensors ability to scan under the water, and the ability to transmit a clear feed."

"Get the drones out of there." Kaji ordered.

"Sir?" Hideki asked.

"Now, Lieutenant!" Kaji repeated.

"Aye, sir!" Hideki replied.

"Kaji, what's the rush?" Misato asked.

"That thing is getting closer to shore, it's going to come out eventually." Kaji replied. "Current position puts it minutes away from the shore line, and hopefully we'll get a clear scan of it."

"Do you think it's an Angel?" Misato asked.

"I'm hoping it's not." Kaji explained. "But all the past experiences with these things, they have a knack for somehow hiding themselves until it's too late for us to act."

"It's approaching the shallows, Colonel." Sumire said.

"Move the VTOLs father out." Kaji said. "I don't feeling like increasing the death toll the JSSDF has suffered at the hands of the Angels."

"They're moving off." Hideki replied.

"Good." Kaji said.

"Colonel, whatever it is, it's emerging." Hideki said.

They all looked at the main screen. The VTOLs may have retreated to a safer distance, however, they still had a clear view of the thing that slowly came out of the water. It was a huge, transparent sphere. The surface of the sphere seemed very thin, almost like a membrane, and looked like it was filled with Tang. Inside the sphere itself was what looked like some kind of spore. It had a small round center that was partially opaque, with dozens of spokes of different lengths jutting out from the center. Some went barely quarter of the way to the edge of the sphere, while at least ten went all the way to the edge and were just touching the edge of the membrane. Floating around in the fluid inside were what looked like SUV sized human cells. Finally, at the very center of this odd beast, under the partially opaque center, was the blood red Core, hiding in plain sight. Barakijal was floating several dozen meters off the ground, similar to Leliel, but looked far more menacing.

"Do another wave form scan." Kaji said. "With it completely out of the water, we should be able to get a lock."

"I didn't have to do a thing, Colonel." Sumire said. "The passive sensors pinged it as soon as it came out of the water…"

"Shit…" Misato muttered.

"Well, Sumire?" Kaji asked.

"Pattern Blue confirmed." Sumire said. "It's an Angel, sir, the Nineteenth Angel."

"Midori, Level–1 battle stations. Issue an alert requesting people to stay in their homes due to hazardous conditions." Kaji ordered. "Sumire, contact the kids, get them in here ASAP, then get the AIS on stand–by. Hideki, coordinate with the JSSDF, I want this thing tracked and monitored up close until we can get the Evangelions out there to intercept it. They are not to engage, is that understood?"

"Yes, Colonel." Midori replied.

"Understood, sir." Sumire said.

"I will relay that Colonel." Hideki replied.

"No, you tell them the last time they did something stupid, Tokyo–2 was wiped off the map." Kaji said coldly. "The reminder should keep them in line."

"Understood, Colonel." Hideki replied.

"Maya, can you hear me?" Kaji asked.

" _Yes, Colonel Kaji?_ " Maya replied.

"How are the EVAs coming along?" Kaji asked.

" _They're all ready for deployment._ " Maya replied.

"And those new weapons you've been bragging about?" Kaji asked.

" _All prepared as requested._ " Maya replied. " _I'm guessing, sir, that shit hit the fan._ "

"Yep." Kaji replied. "Another confirmed Pattern Blue."

" _Well, they're ready as soon as the kids are clear for launch._ " Maya replied.

"What about the S2 Engines for Unit–05 and Unit–07?" Kaji asked.

" _It took them four days to regrow to full size._ " Maya replied. " _I had the activation test set for this weekend, but beyond that, they're both ready for combat._ "

"You're sure?" Kaji asked.

" _They're as safe as any Evangelions can be._ " Maya replied.

"As long as you're confident, I'm fine with it." Kaji said nervously.

"Maya, can you hear me?" Misato interrupted.

" _Yes, Commander?_ " Maya asked.

"Alright, as soon as everything is ready down there, I need you up here to look at some data." Misato ordered. "And as backup when we brief the pilots."

" _Right away, ma'am._ " Maya replied. " _I will be up shortly._ "

"Sumire?" Kaji asked.

"The kids are on their way." Sumire said.

"Can you have the MAGI crunch the numbers on how long we have before this gets to us?" Kaji asked.

"I'll check, sir." Sumire replied. "MAGI predict that the Angel has a 47.3% probability of heading towards Tokyo–3. The Angel, at its present speed, is four hours away from us, 75km north northeast of here."

"So we have some time." Kaji muttered. "But not a lot."

"What do we do?" Sumire asked.

"We figure out the quickest way to kill this thing before anyone's put in danger." Kaji said. "Then we figure out how these things keep finding us."

"Are we sure it's a treat?" Midori asked. "I mean, it hasn't done anything to us."

"It will." Kaji said. "Sumire, scan that thing."

"On it, Colonel." Sumire said. "I'm detecting a strong electromagnetic field coming from the Angel, and a strong A.T. Field surrounding the inner structure."

"I wonder what the E.M. Field is for?" Misato asked.

"Well, let's just hope that it's not going to cause a big problem." Kaji replied.

–––

The kids had finally arrived, and were ushered to the Command Center. They looked around and saw the Angel being tracked and analyzed on the main screen, while Misato, Kaji, and Maya walked up to them.

"So, another one popped out of the woodwork, eh?" Mari asked.

"Something like that." Kaji said. "Popped out of the water actually."

"It's shocking just how many of these things enjoy being in the water…" Asuka muttered.

"It is interesting." Rei said.

"Is it a giant floating ball?" Shinji asked.

"Well, yes, a bit." Maya said.

"It's not going to… suck anyone in?"

"No, it's not going to do that." Maya said. "It's nothing like Leliel."

"Well, did you know that its been exactly four years since that Angel tried hacking the MAGI, right?" Mari asked. "What Angel attacks on the anniversary of its sibling's death?"

"An angry one." Shinji suggested.

"Oh yeah, it has been four years…" Kaji said. "But this time, you actually have tot fight the Angel, you don't just get to sit around."

"Well, I'm more than ready." Mari said.

"Don't be too overexcited." Misato said.

"Why not?" Mari asked. "There's an Angel to kill."

"That's the right attitude, Mari." Kaji said encouragingly.

"Please, don't encourage her." Shinji said.

"Why not?!" Mari asked. "There is an Angel to kill!"

"Yeah, but you've never offed one, four eyes." Asuka said. "Hell, Rei's killed two."

"I killed one of those white freaks!" Mari said defensively.

"By self–destructing…" Asuka said. "No offence, Rei."

"None taken." Rei said. "It's not the smartest of plans."

"And extremely wasteful!" Misato said. "So no self–destructing, got it?!"

"Yes, Commander." Mari said.

"I don't intend on repeating that feat." Rei replied.

"Good." Kaji said. "So, the Angel is on track to come visit us here in beautiful Tokyo–3, we've got four hours until it's knocking at our door. So, we 've been studying it, and all we know is that it has a strong A.T. Field, and its got a strong electromagnetic field."

"You've been studying it?" Rei asked.

"I believe that was a complaint of the previous administration." Kaji said. "I'm sorry we don't have more, but at least it's something."

"That's a first." Asuka said. "So, uh, who's going out?"

"All four of you." Kaji said.

"What?" Misato asked. "That wasn't the plan. What about the reserve pilots?"

"Commander, all due respect, but holding them in reserve is just begging for trouble." Kaji said. "You all go and intercept the Angel, as safely as possible."

"With what?" Shinji asked.

"The new weapons we've been trying to get ready are finally cleared for use." Maya explained. "First, the EVA's pylons have been updated. They have new retro rockets, or rather, actual thrusters. There's not enough lift for full–fledged flight, but you can hover a bit, and they're powered by your S2 Engine. Then you still the standard Prog Knife in each pylon, and a mini railgun is mounted at the top of each one, rather than those ineffectual spikes. They're loaded with high explosive Anti A.T. Field rounds for increased effect."

"Wow, you guys have really been working, haven't you?" Asuka said.

"So the EVAs have better standard weaponry." Rei said. "What about the armor?"

"The armor is no longer plain titanium." Maya said. "It's tritanium, a new alloy that we cooked up in the last few years. It reduces the weight of the armor by about 10%, but increases the strength and heat resistance by about 25% over plain titanium. All of your EVAs have this new armor. We call this the Type–B/2 armor for the Production Types, or in the case for Unit–01, because it's the Test Type, Type–A/2 armor." Maya took a moment to breathe. "Then we have some other new weapons that we've been working on too."

"Like?" Mari asked.

"A new gun to replace the Pallet Rifle, which wasn't really cutting it, was it." Maya said. "So we've made a you guys an EVA sized railgun, a Buster Rifle, and a beam sabre."

"Wait a second…" Shinji said. "A Buster Rifle? Like the Wing Zero's Buster Rifle?"

"Well, it was actually modeled after Wing Gundam's." Maya admitted. "The beam sabres were modeled after Epyon's, and the thrusters' design was inspired by Tallgeese's Vernier thrusters."

"And the tritanium?" Rei asked.

"Well, after looking over the neo–titanium, we were able to extrapolate how to improve our own armor." Maya explained.

"So you stole it?" Mari said.

"No, we adapted it." Maya replied. "And all the better, because now we have more powerful weapons that can hopefully harm the Angels and better protect you."

"Can't argue with that." Mari replied.

"Yeah, seriously." "Putting our well–being first? I'm actually shocked."

"And touched." Shinji added.

"Just not like, a bad touch." Mari quipped. "A good touch, like on your…"

"Mari!" Shinji shouted. "Not the time!"

"Sorry, puppy…" Mari muttered.

"Anyway… why didn't you tell us this last time?" Asuka asked. "I mean, it would have been nice to know then, or use this fancy stuff then."

"Misato told you about the improved thrusters." Maya said. "But the railguns weren't quite operational yet, so they weren't installed, and he rest of it was still in need of fine tuning. But we didn't tell you because we were under a serious time crunch, and it couldn't have helped you anyway."

"Fine." Asuka said. "So when do we deploy to deal with this thing?"

"As soon as you're ready." Kaji said.

"Then we should go suit up." Mari said.

–––

Mari sat impatiently in her Entry Plug. It was the first time she'd been inside an Evangelion since before Third Impact. Mari wanted to get going, but was being held up by having to activate her Evangelion.

" _Evangelion Unit–07 is online._ " Sumire said. " _Now activating Unit–05._ "

" _Mari, are you ready?_ "

"I've been waiting, of course I'm ready." Mari said. "Let's get this show on the road."

" _Alright._ " Kaji said. " _Hit it, Sumire._ "

" _Unit–05's S2 Engine is coming online… S2 Engine is stable… power output is optimal and steady._ " Sumire reported. " _Now establishing secondary connections… electrolyzing LCL now… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and nominal… LCL pressure and charge are within normal operating range." Sumire reported. "Configuring language logic interface for Japanese… all preliminary contacts have now been established… performance is nominal… opening bi–directional circuits._ "

" _Keep it going, Sumire._ " Kaji said.

"Yeah, keep it going, Sumire." Mari quipped.

" _Yes, Colonel._ " Sumire replied. " _Bi–directional circuits are now open and transmitting… transmission strength and modulation is within normal parameters… brain wave pattern and harmonics are normal… Mari's life signs are normal and showing elevated signs of endorphins… synchronization ratio is at 69.5% and steady… establishing nerve connections… nerve connections are established through 1890… 1960… 2340… 2500…2590… clear to 2760… 3110… absolute borderline in 90… 60… 40… 10… absolute borderline passed… nerve connections now connected through 3510 and active… Evangelion Unit–05 is now online._ "

" _Awesome._ " Kaji said. " _How long until the Angel is within range of the city?_ "

" _A little more than three and a half hours._ " Hideki replied.

" _Unless anyone has any objections, begin launch sequence._ " Kaji said. " _Commander?_ "

" _Go for it, Colonel._ " Misato relied. " _Give that Angel hell._ "

"It's about fucking time." Mari said.

" _Launch pads locked in place… disconnecting umbilical cables… S2 Engines now running without external support or control… closest intercept point has been selected… launch path is clear and open… all systems online… verified all systems online… board is green._ " Sumire reported. " _Evangelion Unit–01, Unit–02, Unit–05, and Unit–07 are all cleared for launch at your discretion, Colonel._ "

The four Evangelions were all lined up next to each other on the launch pads, the first time they'd all be sent into battle together in a long time.

" _Ok, time to go kids._ " Kaji said. " _Move to intercept the Angel as quickly as you can. Weapons drop will occur just outside intercept point._ "

" _Copy that._ " Asuka said.

" _Roger._ " Rei said.

" _Got it._ " Shinji replied.

"Bitchin." Mari said.

" _Evangelions… LAUNCH!_ " Kaji ordered.

As the four Evangelions launched towards the surface, Mari was thrown back in her seat, and was excited by the rush she got from being flung towards the surface.

"I forgot how much fun this is!" Mari shouted. "YEEHAW!"

" _Shut it four eyes!_ " Asuka shouted as the Evangelions emerged on the surface a short distance away from each other.

" _Ok, so we need to head this way._ " Shinji said as Unit–01 pointed in the general direction of the Angel.

" _Well, how do you intend to get there quickly, baka?_ " Asuka asked. " _We can't fly._ "

"We can run guys." Mari said.

" _Or we can use the thrusters to move at great distances very quickly._ " Rei said.

" _Would that work?_ " Shinji asked.

"Can't hurt to try." Mari said as she activated the switch for the thrusters and gave herself a running start, Unit–05 slowly lifted off the ground and continued hovering along. "Well, it works, try it guys!"

" _Huh… science is amazing._ " Rei said as the others followed suit, and flew after Mari and Unit–05 a short distance from the ground. " _We appear to be making good time._ "

" _We just have to avoid…_ " Shinji began as Unit–02's foot ploughed through a parking garage. " _Damage anything…_ "

" _Oops…_ " Asuka muttered. " _Oh well… collateral damage is expected._ "

" _No it's not._ " Shinji said. " _Kaji said story not to destroy things!_ "

"Relax, puppy." Mari said. "Because we're almost there."

" _How do you know?_ " Rei asked.

"The little blip we're flying towards is only a few kilometers away." Mari replied. "We should see the Angel any minute now."

" _Wait, how close are we?_ " Asuka asked.

"We're here." Mari said as Unit–05 shut off its thrusters and landed gracefully, with the other Evangelions following suit. "It's right over there."

" _How big is that thing?_ " Asuka asked as she saw it a few hundred meters away.

" _About 120 meters in diameter._ " Sumire replied.

"Of course, it's bigger than we are." Mari joked.

" _They're always bigger than we are._ " Shinji said. "That's how this works."

" _So… it's bigger, and we know it's got an electromagnetic field around it._ " Asuka said. " _I wonder how this is gonna work._ "

"Well, we shoot it and go home to nap." Mari said. "Nice and easy."  
–––

Asuka looked on in shock at the new, freaky looking Angel.

"Wow, and I thought the last one was a bit weird." Asuka muttered. "And you think this is going to be easy?"

" _Yeah, another giant floating ball._ " Mari said. " _We'll just pop it like a big squishy balloon. We just need to figure out exactly how we're popping it._ "

" _Well, we need the weapons first._ " Rei said.

"Yeah, where are those weapons?" Asuka asked.

" _Look up._ " Kaji replied.

Several crates were being dropped with parachutes attached a short distance away from their position. As the crates slowly fell to the Earth, the VTOLs that dropped the weapons stayed within range of them, rather than flying off.

" _So, are they our babysitters?_ " Mari asked.

" _No, they're just there to give you support if need be._ " Kaji replied.

"You mean a distraction and cover fire." Asuka said.

" _Only if need be._ " Kaji said.

" _Ok, so what are we doing?_ " Rei asked as the Evangelions moved to the crates and opened them. " _Who gets what weapon?_ "

There were six crates of weapons. The Positron Rifle, two Buster Rifles, and two pairs of the new railguns with extra clips in the sixth crate.

" _Wow, extra weapons are always nice._ " Mari said.

"Shinji, you should take a Buster Rifle." Asuka said. "You know how to handle it."

" _I guess._ " Shinji replied.

" _I'll take the other one._ " Mari said.

" _I will take the Positron Rifle._ " Rei said. " _I am familiar with its use._ "

"So I get to dual wield these epic things." Asuka said. "But why are there extra magazines? What are they for?"

" _You can exchange the clip in the field._ " Maya said. " _A bit more efficient than a weapon drop every time you run out of ammo._ "

"Huh… what a novel idea." Asuka joked.

" _Ok, let's focus._ " Rei said. " _How should we attack?_ "

" _Well, all at once would be a good idea._ " Mari said. " _Otherwise we're just wasting ammo._ "

" _Everything but those railguns are powered by your S2 Engines._ " Misato said. " _Which is why it's so important that we got those new ones sorted out._ "

"Ok, we get it." Asuka said. "We've moved on from the issue, Misato."

" _So, where are positioning ourselves?_ " Shinji asked.

"I guess all around it." Asuka said.

" _And don't forget to raise your A.T. Fields._ " Kaji said. " _We don't need you all being caught off guard cause you're busy trying to just kill it._ "

"I think we can handle that." Asuka said as Unit–02 shimmered and deployed its A.T. Field, with the others following suit.

" _Ok, so I'll go get behind it._ " Shinji said.

" _Yeah, I'll get on its right side._ " Mari said.

"I'll take it on from the front." Asuka said.

" _I guess I'll be on the left._ " Rei said.

As Unit–02 took the relatively short walk putting it directly in the Barakijal's path, Unit–01 and Unit–05 moved in unison until Mari got into position and kneeled down, bracing the Buster Rifle against Unit–05's chest. Unit–07 got into position, and leveled the Positron Rifle right at Barakijal's Core. As Unit–01 took up position from behind, Asuka raised her own weapons.

"Ok, ready everyone?" Asuka asked.

" _Fuck yeah!_ " Mari said.

" _Locked on the Core._ " Rei said.

" _I'm ready, Asuka._ " Shinji said. " _Are you?_ "

"Of course, baka." Asuka replied.

" _Just be careful._ " Kaji said.

"FIRE!" Asuka shouted as the opened fire with the pair of railguns, sending a stream of Anti A.T. Field coated explosive rounds at Barakijal. The rounds stopped, apparently midair, and then simply dropped to the ground. Rei fired the Positron Rifle, and watched as the beam was split around what was presumably the electromagnetic field Barakijal was putting off. The Buster Rifles were able to breach the electromagnetic field and the cell membrane, but were dispersed inside its liquid interior.

"Scheisse!" Asuka shouted. "Why did they stop?!"

" _Probably the electromagnetic field._ " Maya postulated. "But beyond that, we're not sure why the Buster Rifles got scattered."

As they were chatting, they didn't notice Barakijal charging several attacks, which formed in the electromagnetic field that was sitting around Barakijal and sent four purple/blue lightning bolts straight towards them. The Command Center

" _Inbound attack!_ " Midori shouted.

" _Dodge!_ " Mari shouted as the Evangelions jumped up, but the bolts all followed. As they tried to avoid the bolts again, they followed all four of them and impacted their A.T. Fields, making them slide backwards.

"What the hell was that?!" Asuka shouted as the four Evangelions reconvened off to the left side of Barakijal, reeling from Barakijal's attack.

–––

Rei shook her head as she felt the sting of Barakijal's attack. She rubbed her chest when she felt as though she'd been given one hell of a shock, and could still feel a tingling sensation and some mild heart palpitations.

"I believe the Angel shot back at us." Rei deadpanned.

" _Obviously, wundergirl!_ " Asuka shouted. " _What they hell?! We can't shoot it, we can't doge its attacks, which somehow followed us, what the fuck are we supposed to do?! Why can't this stupid shit be easier?!_ "

" _Well… maybe just… I don't know…_ " Shinji said.

" _Very helpful, baka!_ " Asuka shouted.

"Don't yell at onii–chan." Rei said. "We just have to think logically about this."

" _Well, my logic is to stab this motherfucker to death!_ " Mari shouted as Rei saw Unit–05 deploy both its Prog Knives and charge towards Barakijal.

" _Mari, what the hell are you doing!?_ " Kaji shouted.

" _Stabbing this motherfucker in the face!_ " Mari shouted as Unit–05 ran straight at Barakijal, dodging its attacks, as the bolts hit the ground uselessly around them. Unit–05 made it to the cell membrane and ran right into it, ending up in a contained pool of LCL. This slowed down Unit–05's advance, but that wasn't what caused the issue. The LCL was crackling with electricity, and as Unit–05 moved to make the fatal blow, Mari was electrocuted by Barakijal, causing her and Unit–05 to convulse.

" _AAAAHHHHH!_ " Mari screamed as she tried to stab at Barakijal's Core. " _Fuck you!_ " Mari deployed Unit–05's pylon railguns and fired uselessly at the Core, watching as the rounds slowed down in the LCL and floated uselessly around her, crackling as the electric current in the LCL flowed through them.

"Mari!" Rei cried out as Unit–07 ran towards Barakijal.

" _Rei, wait!_ " Shinji shouted.

" _Baka, cover fire._ " Asuka said, handing him one of the railguns.

" _Right!_ " Shinji replied as Unit–01 took the gun aimed at Barakijal.

Unit–01 and Unit–02 fired at Barakijal while Rei and Unit–07 ran straight at Barakijal, trying to get to Mari. As Unit–07 ran up to Unit–05, Rei reached through the cell membrane, getting electrocuted in the process and pulled Unit–05 free of Barakijal's insides. As they escaped, Barakijal sent a bolt of lightning after them, which hit both the weakened Unit–05 and Unit–07 and sent them flying. As Re recovered from the attack, Unit–07 bent down and lifted Unit–05 off the ground.

" _Rei…?_ " Mari asked as Unit–07 half carried Unit–05 away from Barakijal. " _You… you saved me?_ "

"Yes I did." Rei said. "But that was foolish."

" _It was worth a shot…_ " Mari said.

"It was not worth your life." Rei said scoldingly.

" _Ok, so what do we do now?_ " Shinji asked.

" _Not run into the Angel's electrified body seems like a good plan._ " Asuka said.

" _I second that…_ " Mari muttered.

"Maya, are there any weapons with more power behind them than the ones we have?" Rei asked.

" _No, you have the most powerful weapons._ " Maya said.

"Ok…" Rei said. "I believe we are in trouble."

–––

Back in the Command Center, everyone was in shock, there was LCL inside Barakijal, and it was electrified, making a direct attack on the Core extremely dangerous.

"Hideki, run an analysis on the Angel. We need to understand what that attack was." Kaji ordered. "Midori, damage report on the EVAs, especially Unit–05. Sumire, Maya, we need options, anything, even if it's totally insane and seems impossible."

"Unit–01 and Unit–02 are undamaged." Midori reported. "Unit–07 has minor muscular damage to its arms and upper body, and Unit–07 has moderate to severe damage throughout its body, and Mari is showing signs of increased distress."

"After analyzing the Angel's attack pattern, and analyzing the data we got from inside thanks to Unit–05, it generates the attacks from the current inside the LCL surrounding its body." Hideki said. "And the current inside is too powerful for any weapons to get through, even the Buster Rifles."

"Great, so Mari's injured from her own recklessness, and we can't shoot the Angel." Kaji said. "Maya, Sumire, do you have anything we can possibly do to counter them?"

"Uh… we still have the beam sabre." Sumire said. "It should be able to hit the Core directly, from a further distance away, but… the person would still have to enter the Angel and risk getting, well, electrocuted."

"Did you get that, kids?" Kaji asked. "Someone want to volunteer to go stab this thing?"

" _I'll do it…_ " Mari said weakly.

"Absolutely not, you're injured enough already." Kaji said.

"I agree with him, Mari." Misato added. "There's no need to risk your life further."

" _I'll go._ " Shinji said.

" _Baka, what the hell is wrong with you?!_ " Asuka shouted. " _You are not doing this!_ "  
–––

Shinji stared angrily at Asuka on his view screen as she berated him for volunteering to attack Barakijal directly. She had been ranting for a solid two minutes, but Shinji had had enough of her ranting for the moment.

" _Why are you always so stupid?! You can't just go and attack something like this, it's too fucking dangerous! We need to attack it together_ "

"Asuka, stop it!" Shinji said angrily. "I'm volunteering to go so that you and Rei can cover me and keep Mari safe."

" _You don't have to go, baka!_ " Asuka shouted. " _Weren't you listening to a word I said?!_ "

"I did, but you're wrong." Shinji said. "I have the strongest A.T. Field, I have the best chance to survive being injured."

" _So what, don't you think maybe I would have wanted to volunteer?!_ "

" _ENOUGH!_ " Rei shouted. " _This is no time for arguing! Asuka, stop being so paranoid! Onii–chan knows what he's doing. Onii–chan, stop standing there, go and kill the Angel!_ "

" _Rei… I…_ " Asuka stammered.

" _No, just get ready to cover him._ " Rei said. " _Onii–chan, please be careful._ "

"I will Rei." Shinji replied. "So, where's the beam sabre?"

" _A VTOL will drop it momentarily._ " Sumire said. " _There's also a backup one in case it's needed._ "

"Sure." Shinji said.

" _So how are we doing this?_ " Asuka asked.

"You and Rei shoot the Buster Rifles at the Angel while I charge from the side. Hopefully you'll keep it distracted enough to do some damage."

" _I'm honestly surprised it's ignoring you._ " Maya said. " _It just keeps heading towards Tokyo–3._ "

" _Well, why don't we show it how bad of an idea it is to ignore us._ " Asuka said.

" _Yeah, let's show them._ " Mari said.

" _Not you, Mari._ " Misato said. " _You're to stay there, and stay out of the way._ "

" _The hell I will…_ " Mari began as she tried moving, but winced in pain.

" _Yeah, good to see you're in a condition to fight._ " Asuka said sarcastically.

" _Guys, focus._ " Kaji ordered. " _Shinji, get ready to attack, we've let this thing linger long enough._ "

"Got it." Shinji replied as a VTOL flew overhead and dropped a cylinder with a parachute attached down. Unit–01 caught it and activated it with a hiss of its extending beam, which was a deep purple. "Was this the color you chose on purpose?"

" _It was the most energy efficient color, and ended up being a better frequency to cut at._ " Maya explained. " _The color is simply a side effect of the wavelength we chose._ "

"Cool." Shinji said.

" _So, baka, are you doing this, or are you chickening out?_ " Asuka asked.

"I'm doing this." Shinji said. "Just cover me the best you can."

" _We know what to do, ya big hero._ " Asuka quipped.

"Alright… here I go." Shinji said nervously as Unit–01 took off, its purple beam sabre active and clutched tightly in its hand. As Unit–01 got close, Unit–02 and Unit–07 began firing their Buster Rifles at Barakijal, covering Unit–01's approach. Unit–01 leapt into the air and raised the beam sabre over its head, pointing its blade down to bring a powerful, final strike on the Core. However, before Unit–01 was able to complete to the attack, five lightning bolts shot out and struck Unit–01, ripping through its A.T. Field, and passing right through the chest and abdomen, sending Unit–01 into Barakijal's electrified LCL, and the beam sabre spinning towards the ground.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as he was trapped inside Barakijal.

" _SHINJI!_ " Asuka screamed as Unit–02 took off towards the fallen beam sabre. " _I'll fucking show you, you stupid Angel._ "

As Unit–01 crashed motionless into the ground, Unit–02 got close to the beam sabre, but also suffered the same fate as Unit–01, and was hit several times by lightning bolts, ripping through the A.T. Field. However, Asuka tried to keep going, staggering under the pain she was faced with, but refused to quit as Unit–01 continued to writhe in pain.

" _AAAAHHHHH!_ " Asuka screamed. " _You're not stopping me!_ "

Unit–02 struggled to make it to the beam sabre and was feet away from it when another set of lightning bolts struck it in the chest, Unit–02 succumbed to the stress of being electrocuted repeatedly and fell to its knees, with Asuka passing out.

" _No!_ " Rei cried as she looked at her two fallen friends. " _I must do something reckless…_ "

Unit–07 dropped its Buster Rifle and ran towards the beam sabre lying on the ground some distance away. Unit–07 got about half way when it was assaulted by Barakijal's lightning, taking several hits to the chest and abdomen, Rei screamed in pain as she felt like her flesh was burning.

" _I must save onii–chan…_ " Rei muttered as Unit–07 continued its advance before being hit several more times and finally collapsing from the stress. " _Too strong…_ "  
–––

Mari watched in horror as Unit–01 and Unit–02 took direct hits from Barakijal, completely helpless to make a difference. However, when she saw Unit–07 collapse, Mari, even though the pain she was still suffering, unsteadily got up and tried to keep her Evangelion from keeling over.

"REI!" Mari screamed. "You fucking Angel, I'm going to kill you!"

" _Mari, don't go for that beam sabre over there._ " Kaji said. "We're dropping the other one now… everyone else moved too quick before it could be given to you."

" _Mari, you also need to hurry, Shinji's still being electrocuted inside that thing._ " Maya said. " _You need to_ pull him out and then kill the Angel."

"Fine!" Mari shouted as she grabbed the other beam sabre that had just parachuted in. "Hold on Shinji, I'll save you."

Unit–05 staggered forward, not able to run as it had earlier with its previous injuries. However, Mari had dealt with pain before, quite a lot of pain in fact.

"You think this is pain?" Mari muttered. "Lilith toured me for what seemed like forever… this is child's play."

Unit–05 took several lightning bolts to the chest, but did not stop. Mari kept going, even if was slow, it was still progress.

"Is that the best you got?!" Mari shouted tauntingly. "Make it hurt you, stupid fucking Angel! I can handle way more pain than this!"

Barakijal, almost as if it could hear Mari's taunts, fired eve more lightning at Unit–05, which took every shot and finally reached the cell membrane. Unit–05 leapt inside once again, activating the beam sabre as it went in and charged straight at the Core. The beam sabre went right through it, burning a perfect hole in the S2 Engine, and causing the Angel to explode in a massive cross shaped explosion which sent all four Evangelions flying away from the epicenter. Mari, still in a great deal of pain, and feeling like her heart was about to explode, slowly looked up to see nothing left of the Angel.

"Huh… I finally got one all to myself." Mari said proudly. "How is everyone?"

" _They're alive, but in a great deal of distress._ " Sumire said. " _Medical teams have been dispatched._ "

"So they're gonna make it?" Mari asked weakly.

" _Yes, as long as they're brought in quickly._ " Maya said. " _And the same goes for you… you need to be brought in quick!_ "

"I'm fine, really." Mari said. "I can't even feel anything… especially my arm."

" _Don't say that Mari._ " Kaji said. " _Just relax and don't move around too much._ "

"It doesn't matter…" Mari said. "I know when I'm fine, and I'm fine."

"No you're not!" Maya said angrily. " _Your EKG is all over the place, and it looks like you're having a heart attack._ "

"I'm not, I don't smell toast." Mari replied.

" _That's a stroke, not a heart attack!_ " Maya rebutted. " _We need to get her now!_ "

" _We're working on it, she'll be the first recovered._ " Kaji replied.

"Good… cause I need a nap…" Mari said as she passed out from her own injuries.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 150.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 125.0% (+5.0%)  
Mari – 69.5% (+50.2%)  
Rei – 66.8% (+44.6%)

Firstly, Rei's name. As mentioned directly in the final chapter of Episode VI, and mentioned in passing at the beginning of Chapter 2, Rei's name has changed since Third Impact. Shinji said she was entitled to use their mother's family name, so she added Ikari to the end of her existing name. I wrote this out for two reasons, Rei considers Shinji a brother, and Rei is essentially Shinji's sister and Yui's daughter, so her having the name Ikari makes sense, especially now that Gendo is gone.

Now onto the Evangelions genetic makeup. For the sake of not having to describe more unique Evangelions, I decided early on that the remaining Evangelions of the Production set (Unit–02 onwards) would have one of two genetic profiles, _Adam Type A_ or _Adam Type B_. The Evangelions under each genetic profile would look identical to one another, except for their unique paint colors. Adam Type A was created by Kyoko when she modified Unit–02 to have more eyes. So, because additional samples of that material were kept, they were used by the U.K. and Israel to make Unit–05 and Unit–07 respectively. Unit–03 and Unit–04 (and Unit–06) are all Adam Type B, as Unit–03 and Unit–04 were created in the U.S., and we all know what happened to those particular Evangelions. The U.S. gave France a copy of the sample they worked with, which resulted in the creation of Unit–06.

Now, with the flashback depicting Kaji's final confrontation with Yamada, the line " _The pair leveled their weapons at one another one last time, and a flurry of shots rang out in the twilight, with a murder of crows flying out of the trees in the distance_ " marks the end of what was originally published in Episode VI, Chapter 4. Everything after that in the flashback was written back then, but not released to hide Kaji's true fate.

I added the scene with Kaji's party because I couldn't just have everyone assume he'd have been reintroduced, however I wanted it known that the cover story Misato came up with is the "official" reason he was gone. His exploits against SEELE and everything else will stay hidden. This is plausible because he was a spy beforehand, so him being called away on clandestine business isn't beyond the realm of possibility.

So, the new weapons, the Buster Rifle and beam sabre are both modeled after the weapons that were encountered when the Gundams crossed over. However, the railgun, which unlike the Pallet Rifle, fires without using gunpowder, it is a far more versatile weapon. I have, at least personally, modeled it after the Walther G22 bullpup rifle, simply with a longer barrel, and a targeting array hooked into the EVAs targeting system. Also unlike the Pallet Rifle, the new railgun can have its magazine exchanged in the field, which from the show, does not seem to be possible for the Pallet Rifle.

Onto this week's Angel, the nineteenth Angel Barakijal (and no, I don't know how to pronounce that) is another extracanonical Angel from the _NERV White Paper_ RPG. With Barakijal being the Angel of Lightning, I decided that throwing lightning bolts would be the most effective weapon. Also, because the Angel looks like a cell, I thought that there being some kind of liquid inside the membrane made sense. Having that be LCL just happened to work out, because it wouldn't be unnatural for an Angel to have that inside of them. This Angel also only retaliates, but otherwise doesn't engage the EVAs confrontationally.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	7. Chapter 7 – The Best of Both Worlds

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 7 – The Best of Both Worlds  
May 7, 2020 – Comfort 17 Apartments

The kids were all sitting around the kitchen table, waiting for Misato to come home. After yet another Angel attack, they had been on edge since they were all deployed together. They had all been released from the hospital that day and taken a very quiet ride home while still licking their wounds.

While Mari had gotten the worst wounds, from both charging into the Barakijal's body and being continuously electrocuted, Mari also went in a second time and killed the Angel, surprising herself in the process after having never actually been able or allowed to kill an Angel on her own, she was in good spirits for having brought an end to the Angelic threat they had faced down.

Asuka on the other hand was simply upset they had been back in the hospital again because they had fought an Angel. She didn't enjoy the hospital, and after having spent so much time there either injured or watching over someone who was injured, she wished she'd never go back to the hospital again.

Rei was less affected by the events that had transpired with the Angel, she'd known going into the hospital was bound to happen being back inside an Evangelion and had accepted that, however she did not expect to have feelings creep up about the recklessness of those around her that she cared about so deeply, something that she was able to keep at bay her last time around as an Evangelion pilot, up until she decided to sacrifice herself against Armisael to protect those very same people he cared so deeply for.

Shinji however was more upset that he wasn't able to protect his friends. He had vowed to always protect, and even undertook illegal and secret training in the three years since Averted Third Impact to do just that. But when it came time to protect his friends, he was absolutely powerless. He watched them all get hurt, and was taken down himself without so much as a second chance to take the Angel back on. He was laid out, and he couldn't do anything to help except writhe in pain at the wound that had opened up in his chest after Barakijal stuck him down, useless and afraid like the first time he stepped foot in Unit–01.

"I'm an idiot…" Shinji muttered, breaking the silence.

"Is this some kind of revelation?" Asuka asked.

"No… I just… I'm sorry about how I've been lately." Shinji said. "I haven't been thinking about anything but making sure that I keep everyone safe… I guess I was just being overprotective…"

"Shinji, that's not your only job in life." Mari said. "We can take care of ourselves."

"Says the idiot who ran headlong into an electrified Angel." Asuka said.

"Well, it worked didn't it?" Mari asked. "I mean no one died…"

"We almost did." Asuka said.

"And I couldn't do anything to stop it…" Shinji muttered.

"Onii–chan, stop blaming yourself." Rei said. "In this world, there is no way to avoid to anyone getting injured and it is foolish to try and stop things like that from happening."

"But…" Shinji protested.

"Onii–chan, being an Evangelion pilot comes with certain risks, and one of those risks is getting injured." Rei explained. "Do not try and keep us from getting injured, you lost focus and as a result, you could have died. I do not want you to die, onii–chan, focus and helping, not protecting, and maybe with the next Angel we won't be in so much trouble if you are truly focused."

"I'm sorry…" Shinji said.

"I forgive you, onii–chan." Rei said.

"Of course I do." Rei said. "There is nothing wrong with trying to protect those you care about. Onii–chan taught me that, but you can't let it distract you, otherwise you will create the thing that you're trying to avoid…"

"Yeah…" Shinji muttered. "I was an idiot…"

"Oh, no more self–loathing, baka." Asuka said. "You admitted what you did, so don't hold in any more guilt, ok?"

"I won't…" Shinji said.

"Don't give me lip service." Asuka said. "I want you to mean it."

"Princess, take it easy." Mari said. "This is how he is, you know that."

"I am taking it easy." Asuka replied. "I'm just making sure he gets that I don't want him being over protective again."

"I won't, Asuka, I promise." Shinji said. "I can't let my guard down again." Shinji wiped his face. "Rei's right, I can't be distracted again…"

"Oh, don't be such a martyr." Asuka said. "We're all capable of fighting you know."

"And none of us are ever going to fight an Angel alone again." Rei said. "We have four Evangelions, and Kaji will not let us go into undo danger again."

"How can you be sure of that?" Asuka asked.

"What he did for this most recent Angel." Rei replied. "He and Misato made sure we had all the information we could have possibly needed. It was a very nice change from not knowing what was happening."

"It was a nice change." Mari said. "Better than the usual "go and fight the Angel, good luck" bullshit."

"Yeah, we actually had weapons that worked too." Asuka said.

"It's nice that things changed too." Shinji said. "Maybe we can actually be in a better position to fight…"

"Enough talk about fighting…" Asuka muttered. "It's too late to go to school, so we may as well just go and sleep." Asuka sighed. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sill pretty damn sore."

"I could go for some sleep." Mari replied.

"As could I." Rei said.

"Then I suggest we all stop mulling about, leave a note for Misato telling her we went to bed, and sleep this shit off so we can get back to school tomorrow."

"When did school become so important to you, princess?" Mari asked as she struggled to get to her feet.

"Well, I guess when we were normal people again, it was nice to just go to school like any other teenager… so I'm a little upset we missed school." Asuka replied. "Is that so bad?"

"I guess not. It was nice to be normal for a while…" Mari said as she limped towards her room. "See you guys in the morning I guess."

"Yeah, we're going to bed too, Rei." Asuka said as she began heading to her and Shinji's room.

"Goodnight." Shinji said as he followed Asuka to their room.

"Goodnight everyone." Rei replied quietly as she was left at the table by herself.

–––

As Shinji and Asuka crawled into bed, Asuka turned to him and kissed him gently on the cheek and snuggled up against him, causing them both to wince a bit from their injuries.

"What was that for?" Shinji asked. "I don't deserve that…"

"Yes you do, you big worry wart." Asuka said.

"Why?" Shinji said. "I was being an…"

"An ass?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, an ass." Shinji replied.

"You know, Shinji, you have been your usual baka self by trying to protect all of all from getting hurt, and I can understand that considering what's happened in the past." Asuka explained. "But you really did mean well, so there isn't anything I can really be mad about is there? You cared so much for the rest of us, you almost got yourself killed."

"Yeah…" Shinji replied meekly.

"So don't ever do that again, baka." Asuka said as she flicked his nose. "You need my express permission to die, and I don't intend on ever giving you permission to."

"I'll be more careful, Asuka, I promise…" Shinji said.

"And you'll be less of an ass?" Asuka asked.

"That'll be less difficult than trying not to get killed facing off against an Angel." Shinji said. "And I am sorry if I've been… neurotic lately."

"More like self–absorbed, but I don't really want to talk about that." Asuka said. "But if you do it again, I'll kick your ass."

"I expect nothing less." Shinji said as he kissed her back.

"You know Shinji, you may have been an idiot about being over protective, but you're gonna make a great father someday." Asuka said.

"What?" Shinji asked.

"Did I accidently say that in German?" Asuka asked.

"No, you said it in Japanese." Shinji replied.

"Then why are you confused?" Asuka asked.

"Because, you've never brought up kids before…" Shinji said nervously. "We've neve really… talk about that… ever…"

"Well… there was a time when I thought no one would want to have kids with me… but now that we're together, sometimes I think about having kids…" Asuka explained. "I know it's a little insane to be talking about children… I'm not old enough for that anyway… but uh…" Asuka blushed. "It wouldn't be so bad to have kids if you were the father…" Asuka whispered.

Shinji teared up a bit listening to Asuka talk. "Asuka… I uh… I don't know what to say…"

"Haven't you ever thought about kids?" Asuka asked.

"Well… not exactly…" Shinji said. "But I've… uh… imagined us getting married… sometimes…"

"Sometimes?" Asuka asked. "Am I not waifu material all the time or something?"

"What… I didn't mean it like that…" Shinji stammered. "I meant that I… you'd look beautiful in a wedding dress… and I love you…"

"Oh, I love it when you get flustered, Shinji." Asuka said. "I'm only kidding, you don't have to get so nervous…" Asuka blushed again. "But… you do think about marrying me?"

"Of course I do." Shinji replied. "I mean… I love you so much Asuka, I honestly can't see myself with anyone else."

"I can't see myself with anyone else either…" Asuka replied. "But maybe we shouldn't talk about marriage until we're, you know… older, or at least in college."

"Or until the Angels are gone…" Shinji muttered.

"Hey, we'll kill all those fuckers, don't you worry." Asuka said. "I may not enjoy it like I used to, but I damn sure am going to put all my rage into killing every Angel that darkens our doorstep."

"Just as long as we're both careful." Shinji said.

"Don't tell me what to do, baka." Asuka said sweetly. "You're the worst example to anyone wanting to be _careful_ fighting Angels."

"Maybe, but it's a good example of what not to do." Shinji joked.

"Don't use your logic on me." Asuka said. "Just agree I'm right and kiss me already."

Shinji kissed Asuka lightly on the lips. "Whatever you say, Asuka." Shinji replied cheekily.

"Being cute, huh?" Asuka asked. "I thought that was my job…"

"I thought relationships were equal." Shinji replied.

"There's always someone in a relationship who's cuter and more adorable." Asuka said. "And that is me."

"Then what does that make me?" Shinji asked.

"Lucky." Asuka replied. "Speaking of… we could have sex…" Asuka suggested.

"Asuka, you had trouble walking from the kitchen to here, I don't think that's the best idea…" Shinji replied.

"You know, you're probably right, but what's the harm?" Asuka asked.

"One or both of us getting more injured than we already are?" Shinji suggested.

"Fine…" Asuka muttered. "But the next time we have sex, we have to go thrice to make up for this…"

"Thrice or twice?" Shinji asked.

"Thrice, as in three times, baka." Asuka said impatiently.

"But why three times?" Shinji asked.

"What, you're not up to the challenge?" Asuka prodded.

"No… I can handle it, Asuka." Shinji said. "I was just confused at ow you got to three…"

"Well… one for missing tonight, and one as punishment for leaving me horny tonight." Asuka explained as she yawned. "Think of that third time as a punishment…"

"My kind of punishment then…" Shinji said as he yawned as well.

"Pervert…" Asuka said as she snuggled against Shinji and fell asleep.  
–––

As Mari was getting ready to go to bed, she didn't hear her door slide open, or notice that she was being watched from the doorway until Rei spoke up and made Mari jump in fright.

"Mari?" Rei asked suddenly, causing Mari to lose her balance and fall onto her bed.

"Rei, what are you…?" Mari said angrily before she composed herself. "Is everything… alright?"

"No, it is not." Rei replied.

"What's wrong?" Mari asked.

"I… I need to ask you something." Rei said.

Mari sat on her bed and looked confusedly at Rei. "Sure…" Mari said. "Do you… want to sit down?"

"No, thank you." Rei replied. "I just wanted to ask you… why did you run at the Angel so recklessly? What was the point?"

"I don't know… I guessed it wouldn't know what to do with a frontal attack…" Mari said absentmindedly. "It didn't work though… but it was worth a try…"

"It was stupid." Rei said bluntly.

"Well… I certainly wasn't the smartest plan…" Mari replied. "But stupid is a bit harsh."

"Did you not consider how the rest of us felt about you running at the Angel without a second thought?" Rei asked.

"Everyone, or just you?" Mari asked.

"I was worried about you, Mari." Rei said. "It was the first time I've felt like that… I know what the last Rei felt as she sacrificed herself to kill Armisael… but this was different… I believe I understand how Shinji was feeling… being powerless to help…"

"But you did help, you risked your life to pull me out." Mari said. "You weren't powerless…"

"I was powerless to stop you from at the Angel." Rei rebutted. "There was no way to talk you out of your half–baked plan… I don't want to feel that way again."

"You… don't?" Mari asked.

"I can't be with someone who wants to recklessly risk the only life they have in battle." Rei said. "I can't keep feeling like that… I'll end up worrying too much about you and not focus on the Angel…"

"So what you said to Shinji…" Mari began.

"What I said to onii–chan, I was also saying about myself." Rei replied. "Mari… I want you to promise me one thing… that you will stop being reckless and think before you act."

"I will if you answer one question…" Mari said softly. "Why?"

"Because I do not wish you to get injured…" Rei replied weakly.

"But why don't you want to see me get injured?" Mari asked.

"Mari… I…" Rei protested.

"Rei, I just want to know the reason." Mari said kindly. "That's all…"

"Because when you charged the Angel… I thought you were going to die." Rei explained softly. "And in that moment… I realize that I didn't want to lose you… because I… cared about you deeply…"

Mari blushed. "That's what I was hoping you'd say…" Mari muttered. "I'm sorry that I worried you… after I pushed you, I figured you'd hate me…"

"You have already apologized for that, yet you seem to have taken a page out of onii–chan's book and are punishing yourself more than anyone else ever could." Rei said. "Even if it is unacceptable, I have forgiven you."

"I know… but still…" Mari protested.

"You are changing the subject, Mari." Rei said. "I have told you why I want you to be safe, so you have to promise me you will no longer be reckless."

"I promise I won't do that again." Mari said. "I don't want to worry you anymore…"

"You better." Rei said. "I can't care about someone who doesn't regard their life with some kind of respect."

"I do respect it… I just take risks." Mari said. "I've always taken risks…" Mari smiled. "But I won't anymore, unless we're all taking the risk together."

"I think I can agree with that." Rei said.

"So… are we… ok?" Mari asked.

"We are friends… so yes, we are… ok." Rei said. "Now, you need rest, you were far more injured than the rest of us."

"Hey, killing an Angel ain't easy work." Mari replied.

Rei walked over and wrapped her arms loosely around Mari. "Feel better soon…" Rei said a she blushed. "I don't like watching you limp…"

"Thanks, Rei." Mari replied. "But you're hurting me a bit…"

Rei stood up quickly looking horrified. "I… I'm sorry." Rei stammered. "I did not mean…"

"It's ok." Mari replied. "It's the thought that counts." Mari smiled. "And you sounded a lot like Shinji with the stammering… like brother like sister, eh?"

"I presume so…" Rei said. "Goodnight, Mari."

"Goodnight, Rei." Mari said as she crawled slowly into 8, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Senior High School, Class 3–A

As the kids got to school the next morning, they were still hobbling around from their injuries. As they got to the classroom, they were greeted at the door by a less than happy looking Hikari.

"Where have you guys been?" Hikari asked.

"Oh the usual…" Mari said. "Skipping school to deal with an Angel, no big deal."

"I know that, but that was days ago!" Hikari said worriedly. "You had us all worried sick!"

"Us?" Shinji asked as they walked to their desks.

"Yeah, us." Toji said as he and Kensuke walked over. "You guys could have called or something."

"Yeah, we didn't know if you were ok!" Kensuke added.

"Well, we fought an Angel." Asuka said. "It didn't quite go our way."

"Hence my limp." Mari said as she leaned against Shinji for support.

"And we're sorry we didn't call." Shinji said as he shifted under Mari's weight. "But we were in the hospital."

"The hospital?" Hikari asked. "You guys got hurt again?"

"Tends to happen when an Angel throws lightning bolts for fun." Mari quipped.

"And has a body that can electrocute someone." Rei added as she sat down.

"What the hell…?" Kensuke muttered. "What else could it do?"

"Well, it was really stubborn about dying. It was basically bullet and beam proof with the high density EM field like this. Had to stab the fucker with a lightsaber to kill it." Mari said. "And the lightning bolts didn't just go straight, they could follow you…"

"And those fuckers burned!" Asuka said.

"So, Shinji, how's it feel to kill another Angel?" Toji asked.

"Did you just assume the puppy did the killing?" Mari asked.

"Because onii–chan didn't kill the Angel." Rei said.

"Who did?" Hikari asked.

"I did." Mari said proudly.

"Because the rest of us were out cold." Asuka quipped.

"No, because the rest of you can't handle a little pain." Mari said. "I just happen to have a high tolerance than the rest of you."

"No you don't." Asuka said.

"Don't ruin this for me, princess." Mari protested. "This is my only solo kill…"

"Asuka, she's right." Shinji said. "Mari was electrocuted by the Angel when she tried to stab it the first time."

"And she got back up after we were all laid out." Rei said. "It was impressive."

"Oh, whatever…" Asuka muttered. "She was never mauled to death…"

"Mari, please leave it alone." Rei said before Mari could speak.

"Anyway…" Hikari said. "You guys also missed a load of schoolwork."

"What else is new, freckles?" Mari said.

"Unfortunately, Angels take precedence over school work." Rei said.

"This is our life now…" Asuka said sullenly.

"Well, try not to miss so much next time." Hikari said. "Cause we have a test tomorrow on everything we learned this week."

"Of course we do…" Asuka grumbled.

"So, I guess we're not sleeping much tonight then…" Mari said. "How wonderful…"

"So, with the next Angel, what do you say we yell at it to die quick so we don't get hurt and miss school?" Asuka asked.

"I don't see why we can't try…" Shinji said.

"Sarcasm, baka." Asuka said.

"Well, it sounded more convincing than usual." Shinji joked.

"Oh, be quiet." Asuka said. "Anyway, where are our handouts?"

"Your desks…" Hikari mumbled. "Didn't know where else to keep them."

"Thanks for collecting them, freckles." Mari said as she hugged Hikari. "You're a great Class Rep."

"And an even better friend." Shinji added.

"That too." Mari chuckled.

"Well, you four do keep us all safe." Hikari said. "At the expense of your own health apparently."

"Again, not new." Mari said as she plopped down in her chair.

"I'm quite used to it." Rei replied.

"Well you shouldn't have to be." Hikari said. "It's ridiculous."

"Well… some things are unavoidable." Shinji said.

 ** _Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding_**

"Like hearing that damn bell…" Mari grumbled.

"Oh relax, in no time it'll be lunch." Asuka said.

"Yeah, but that's hours away!" Mari moaned. "And my body is killing me!"

"That's the price you pay for wanting to be the hero…" Asuka quipped. "So either deal with it, or never kill an Angel again."

"Enough you two, it's time for class to start." Hikari said as the teacher walked in. "Rise… Bow… Sit!" Hikari commanded as the class followed her instructions.

"Another day in paradise…" Mari quipped as she as down and class began.

* * *

May 10, 2020 – NERV HQ

Misato was sitting impatiently in the Command Center, high above where she was used to commanding operations with her old staff. It was an adjustment period for her, where she was no longer in direct command, but in command over everyone watching while tasks were delegated to her subordinates. Still, because it was an adjustment period, she would sometimes forget that she was mainly there to observe and issued orders like old times, something no one really had an issue with, but Misato still felt quietly embarrassed about forgetting her new, higher position.

"Sumire, how are we doing?" Misato asked.

"The transport planes are coming into range now, Commander." Sumire replied. "We're tracking their trajectories into Tokyo–3 airspace."

"As soon as it's within visual contact range, hail them." Misato ordered. "And call Maya up here as well, she should be here for this."

"Understood, ma'am." Sumire said. "Colonel, is that what you were about to tell me to do?"

"More or less, Sumire." Kaji replied.

"Sorry, Kaji." Misato called out.

"It's alright, Commander. It's within your power to give orders however you see fit." Kaji said. "Plus, old habits die hard." Kaji smiled. "And it'll keep these folks on their toes with two of us ordering them around."

"Well, at least we're on the same page." Misato said.

"Like old times." Kaji replied.

"Uh, Colonel, Commander, I'm seeing some air traffic coming into the path of our descending transports." Sumire reported. "Orders?"

"Hideki, please let local air traffic control know to clear the air for these planes to land. These panes take top priority." Kaji ordered. "We don't need anything colliding with them and having an EVA drop on some poor, unsuspecting neighborhood."

"Got it." Hideki replied as Maya walked in.

"Are they within range yet?" Maya asked.

"Three minutes to visual contact range." Midori replied. "Why are we waiting for visual contact range?"

"It makes these kinds of conversations easier." Kaji said.

"What kind of conversation are we talking about?"

"A secure conversation about the cargo." Kaji said.

"Wait, what cargo?" Midori asked.

"Oh, you'll find out." Kaji said.

"Don't you read your briefs in the morning, Midori?" Sumire asked.

"What briefs?" Midori asked.

"You know, the info packets in your inbox." Hideki said to Midori's confused look. "In your _e–mail_ inbox."

"We get e–mail on these things?" Midori asked.

"Wow, you have a lot to learn…" Hideki muttered.

"But we'll help you learn." Sumire said.

"See, that's teamwork." Kaji said. "But Midori, do you really not know what's flying in?"

"I really don't, sir." Midori replied.

"It's Unit–04." Maya said. "Fresh from repairs at NERV's First Branch. It was then transferred back to the Second Branch in Nevada for direct shipment to us."

"Why wasn't it shipped by boat like Unit–05 and Unit–07?" Midori asked.

"Flying over the pacific is a lot safer than flying over Europe and Asia." Kaji said. "Safer too considering all the radiation left over from WWIII."

"Sir, the planes are coming within visual contact range." Hideki reported. "Hailing them on an ultra–secure frequency."

"On screen." Kaji said as Kotomi's face filled up the main screen in front of them.

" _Hello everyone._ " Kotomi said brightly. " _Long time no see._ "

"Glad to see you've made it in one piece." Kaji said.

" _Kaji?!_ " Kotomi asked. " _I thought… aren't you… ya know… dead?!_ "

"Wait, you didn't tell her?" Kaji asked.

"Sorta slipped my mind…" Maya said.

" _What about Kaji?_ " Takao asked as he also entered the frame. He saw Kaji staring back at him and laughed. " _I knew you weren't dead. Takes more than some errant mission to kill someone as stubborn as you._ "

"Well, I won't say I didn't come close." Kaji said. "But those stories can wait, we have business to discuss Takao."

" _Well… short and sweet till we land I presume?_ " Takao asked.

"If you could." Misato said.

" _Second Branch has been cleared for reactivation._ " Takao said.

"And the cargo?" Misato asked.

" _In short, its secured, and we should be delivering it officially from the U.S. government to NERV's control when we land._ " Kotomi said.

"And what's your ETA?" Kaji asked.

" _Twenty minutes according to the pilot._ " Kotomi replied.

"Then we have time to meet you on the runway." Misato said. "Maya, would you care to join me?"

"I would not mind in the slightest." Maya said happily.

"Alright then, we'll see you down there." Misato said. "HQ out."

The screen went blank and Misato looked down towards Kaji. "I hope that I can leave you in charge while I'm gone."

"I can keep the place from burning down of that's what you mean." Kaji joked.

"I meant just keep an eye out for Angels." Misato said. "But if you keep everyone from destroying the place while the boss is away, I'd appreciate it."

"Not to worry, Commander." Kaji replied. "We'll have things well in hand."

–––

The previous day had been a rough day for all of them, having to take a test the day after leaving the hospital, so they decided to use their day off to stay in bed and literally do nothing. Shinji was lying next to a still sleeping Asuka and contemplating what had happened over the past two months.

'I'm not used to this anymore…' Shinji thought. 'I mean, we had normal lives for three years… it's hard to go back to this…' Shinji looked at Asuka sleeping peacefully in front of him and smiled. 'So many fun things have happened the past few years, everything a teenager could ever want… friends, someone to love, someone who loves you… it was basically perfect…' Shinji breathed in deeply taking in the scent of Asuka's shampoo in the process.

'But I still found a way to mess it up… Asuka's right to call me dumb sometimes because I am… and sometimes I don't think I deserve someone as great as her in my life…' Shinji smiled. 'But I am lucky to have her nonetheless.' Shinji sighed. 'I know I lied to her and Misato… and I know it was wrong… and if the Angels had never come back, would I have ever told them the truth? Could I have lived with keeping that secret until I died?' Shinji adjusted himself in bed.

'Would I have trained on the Evangelion until I died too? Would Misato have made me do that indefinitely? Asuka almost found out so many times… about that and about Kaji… I doubt it could have been kept a secret forever… Asuka would have found out eventually… she's so smart, it was really only a matter of time…' Shinji sighed again. 'But Asuka forgave me… even if she wasn't happy about it, she understood why I did it, even if it sounds stupid in hindsight… I thought she'd have been less forgiving… but I guess after a week without talking, we both realized how much we need each other… I'm glad she saw that as punishment enough too… I really am lucky to have her…' Shinji rolled over onto his back to stare at blankly at the ceiling.

'Maybe it was a good thing the Angels came back after all… it forced the truth out… which was really for the better… and Kaji's back too… so even if I don't want to fight the Angels… I don't think any of us really do… at least we're all in it together… and maybe if we defeat them all, we'll have a chance at more happiness…' Shinji smiled. 'Which means all we have to do is survive… we've done it once… we can certainly do it again…' Shinji smiled and rolled back towards Asuka, wrapping his arm around her. 'I know one thing for sure…' Shinji continued. 'As long as we stick together, we can accomplish anything…' Shinji chuckled silently to himself. 'If I ever said out loud Asuka would make fun of me… it does sound corny… but it's true… we're stronger together…'

–––

Asuka was pretending to be asleep so she didn't wake Shinji up. Little did she know, Shinji was also wide awake and contemplating their current circumstances, which Asuka herself was also doing.

'I hate this…' Asuka thought. 'Things have been so weird lately, it's ridiculous. Everything was going fine, we were normal teenagers doing teenager shit… and then… boom, fucking Angels… way to ruin three years of happiness… three beautiful years… all gone… and for what, to fight for humanity?' Asuka frowned. 'After watching the JSSDF invade and try to kill us like rabid dogs… maybe humanity isn't worth saving… maybe Shinji made the wrong choice letting us all go…' Asuka shook her head. 'No… we're not irredeemable… but we are flawed… we all have our weaknesses…' Asuka rolled onto her stomach.

'I used to love piloting, I loved fighting, piloting was everything to me… but that changed when I fell in love… piloting wasn't the only thing holding me together anymore… I had worth other than just being a pilot… I had friends… and I had Shinji…' Asuka shuttered. 'And after feeling my insides being ripped out, maybe I lost the lust for battle because I had something else to love for… a future to strive for beyond being just an EVA pilot…' Asuka sighed. 'But then I find out that Shinji lied to me for three years… I didn't think that was possible… it was so stupid too! Two fucking secrets! TWO!' Asuka exhaled angrily.

'He could have just told me the truth about piloting, I wouldn't have been mad if he'd just told me sooner… I would have sat there with him… but he has to go all macho and protect us… ugh, he is so frustrating sometimes…' Asuka sighed. 'Still… it was sweet, even if it was misguided, to want to protect us all… so his heart's in the right place… its always in the right place…' Asuka smiled. 'He always thinks of others… even when it's not in his best interest. Still, I love my baka…' Asuka blushed. 'And he wants to marry me… or at least see me in a wedding dress…' Asuka blushed.

'I honestly never thought the day would come where I would even think about marrying someone… I never dreamed about it when I was little… I just wanted to be the best pilot ever… but now… all I see in my future is Shinji…' Asuka grimaced. 'At least… well… as long as we wipe out the Angels, that future may… no it _will_ exist… we may still be lucky enough to have normal lives again… someday…' Asuka felt Shinji wrap his arm around her. 'I think Shinji's awake… but I don't want to talk now… we can talk later… about everything… we'll have all the time in the world once this is all over…' Asuka smiled. 'As long as Shinji is there to cheer me on… I can do anything…'

–––

Misato, Maya, Takao, Kotomi, Hyuga, Aoba, Yuki, and Kaji were al sitting in Misato's conference room. Takao and Kotomi looked a bit tired, mostly because of their long flight from Nevada directly to Tokyo–3, but they had a report to make, and then they could go home and finally get some sleep after their two month long trip abroad.

"Ok, so which of you wants to go first?" Misato asked.

"I'll go, Commander." Takao said.

"But uh… what about the Kaji thing?" Kotomi asked.

"Long story short, Kaji was a secret mission and they pretended to kill him off." Hyuga explained. "Though he did almost die, right?"

"Yeah, that's the short version." Kaji said. "If I told you the long version, id have to kill you, obviously."

"And he's what again?" Kotomi asked.

"He's got my old job." Misato said.

"And he's a Colonel to boot." Aoba added.

"Nicely done… sir." Takao joked.

"Well, it could be worse." Kaji said.

"I know it's a shock to see Kaji back… it was certainly unexpected… but we have a meeting to conduct." Misato grumbled. "Whenever you're ready, Takao."

"Right." Takao said. "Well… after cleaning out the… remains… the base was thoroughly inspected for damage. Surprisingly, there wasn't much damage to be seen, save for some burn marks in the Evangelion holding area. We sterilized and aired out the base to make it habitable again, and a small crew from the First Branch in Massachusetts are occupying the base and fully bringing it online."

"What about a permanent staff at the base?" Misato asked.

"Well… people are uneasy being in there considering how many people died." Takao explained. "Still, the First Branch will most likely diverge its own staff to fill positions there on a more permanent basis."

"I'll contact the head of the First Branch later and hash that out with them…" Misato said. "But beyond being an interdimensional graveyard, it was completely intact?"

"Eerily so." Takao replied. "All we know is that Shinji was lucky to survive his time in a Sea of Dirac."

"You mean the mutilated bodies right?" Kaji asked. "The… uh… effects of being unprotected in there?"

"Yeah… the examination of the bodies before they were cremated only showed us they were exposed to radiation encountered only twice before." Takao said. "When Leliel attacked and swallowed things up… and that whole wormhole insistent shortly before Third Impact, the same radiation that triggers a Pattern Violet from what those science guys explained."

"Maya, can you confirm this?" Misato asked.

"Yes, I got the data the other day and can confirm what Takao explained." Maya replied. "The wormholes and Sea of Dirac share some similarities. This has led me to believe that the Sea of Dirac is simply an interdimensional void between universes, like the two other we're aware of that contain Gundams."

"Interdimensional void?" Hyuga asked. "Like the void of space?"

"Yes, the same concept applies, just spanning different dimensional planes." Maya explained. "Or so the theory goes anyway. The radiation shows up in a Sea of Dirac because that is where it comes from, and it bleeds from the wormholes as they pierce the dimensional walls after creating a bridge through the void."

"But how can different universe inhabit such a small space?" Yuki asked.

"The void as we see it, or its aperture anyway is nearly microscopic, but seems to fold local space around it and can draw things in." Maya explained. "Inside the void is indeterminate in size but infinitely vast at the same time, it's very difficult to explain."

"And it's fatal to humans?" Hyuga asked.

"Apparently." Takao said.

"The regular laws of physics don't apply in the void, we can surmise that much." Maya replied. "Shinji was protected by Unit–01 and its powerful A.T. Field, but everyone in the Second Branch didn't have that protection, so they were…"

Yuki shuttered. "We saw what happened to them." Yuki said. "I don't think we need to describe it in any detail."

"What about Unit–04 itself?" Kaji asked. "Is it safe to even have here considering what happened?"

"I ran every test I could on Unit–04 itself, its Core, and its S2 Engine." Kotomi explained. "Every test came back perfectly normal, no damage detected, no microscopic cracks in the Core and no degradation of the S2 Engine matrix. There were physical signs on the armor of charring and burning, but beyond that, everything was perfectly normal."

"What about the data recorders?" Misato asked. "The ones set up for the experiment?"

"Well, we were able to recover them without an issue." Kotomi said. "And I sent the data to NERV HQ for analysis."

"To who?" Yuki asked.

"To me." Maya replied.

"What did you find out?" Misato asked.

"Well, it took a few weeks for me to comb through everything…" Maya began.

"Why not the MAGI?" Kaji asked.

"It was easier to look at it myself." Maya replied. "But after I analyzed everything, the MAGI did confirm my results."

"And…?" Misato asked.

"Looking at the data that was recovered from the incident, it appears the S2 Engine overloaded from damage we wouldn't have known was there until it was brought online." Maya explained. "The damage caused a massive power spike which triggered the Sea of Dirac's creation. Thankfully, after the power spike and being transported, the instruments kept running, so we got a lot more data I still have to go through about the void itself… but I digress. While in the void, the S2 Engine repaired itself and any damage that was physically done to Unit–04. When Unit–04 had finished healing itself, the Sea of Dirac closed, and the Second Branch emerged from the void with no signs of even being gone… save for the dead…"

"So it healed itself and brought itself back from the void?" Yuki asked bewilderedly.

"Yeah, that seems… off." Hyuga added.

"It requires more research, but long story short, Unit–04 is ready for combat as soon as they're a pilot available." Maya replied.

"And Unit–03?" Misato asked.

"Now that I'm back, I'll take over the repairs of Unit–03 and finalize its repairs and upgrades." Kotomi said.

"What about Unit–04's upgrades?" Misato asked.

"Those will be completed at the same time, seeing as the upgraded items for the shoulder pylons were here." Kotomi explained. "The armor was already taken care of, and we painted it the same color as Unit–00 used to be."

"That gaudy yellow?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, that and white were the only paint we had available." Kotomi said. "But we can repaint at a later date."

"No, for now its fine, just focus on getting them both fully operational while we wait for Unit–06." Misato replied.

"Understood, Commander." Kotomi replied.

"But I think we've covered everything too, so let's get back to work people, there's a lot still to do." Misato said. "Dismissed."

* * *

May 15, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Senior High School, Courtyard

School had just ended, and Kensuke, decided he wanted to meet his girlfriend, Sakura, somewhere quiet so they could talk, or more than likely, make out, because they had so little time to spend together considering the secret nature of their relationship. Kensuke found Sakura hidden in clutch of bushes in the courtyard of the school and ducked in to find her sitting there happily waiting for him to arrive.

"Kenny–kun, what kept you?" Sakura asked as Kensuke sat next to her. "School got out ten minutes ago, and Hikari said you weren't cleaning today."

"Hey, I couldn't just disappear on your brother." Kensuke said nervously. "He gets suspicious when I try and duck out quick."

"He's not as attentive as you think he is, Kenny–kun." Sakura said sweetly. "But I'm glad you're finally here."

"So am I." Kensuke said. "I just wish it didn't have to be like this."

"Look, we can either sneak around and hide in bushes, or we tell my brother what's been going on the past three years." Sakura said. "And I'd rather not see you get beat up, which is why I don't mind this…"

"I know… but he's almost found out a few times now." Kensuke said. "And…"

"Ok, it's time to stop worrying about this because we're wasting time, Kenny–kun." Sakura said as she leaned in and kissed him passionately. Kensuke moved his arms back to support her weight and Sakura straddled him and wrapped her arms around his torso to be in a more comfortable position to kiss. As they lost themselves in the moment, they heard Toji's voice coming from outside the bushes where they were hidden. Kensuke moved his arms and lay flat on his back with Sakura on top of him as they lay completely still and silent, hoping he wouldn't come upon them or their compromising position.

"Damn, where did that fool go?" Toji muttered. "I need his help finding Sakura…"

"Shit…" Kensuke whispered.

"Stay quiet…" Sakura whispered back. "He might hear us…"

"Toji!" Hikari called out. "What are you doing out here? You were supposed to meet me!"

"Huh, oh hey babe." Toji said smoothly. "I was just looking for my pal and my sis. Have you seen them at all?"

"Kensuke went home, and Sakura said she was going out with friends today." Hikari said as she leaned in and kissed Toji. "So, you know what that means…"

"Oh… yeah I do." Toji said. "My place or yours…"

"Mine, my sisters are out." Hikari said. "And that way if Sakura comes home early, she won't find us…"

"Ya know, we could get an early head start in this bush here…" Toji suggested.

"You know I'm too loud to be in public, we could get caught." Hikari replied. "And I don't intend to be quiet today either…"

"Oh… then let's go…" Toji said as they walked away.

"Shit, that was close." Sakura said she sat up.

"Way too close…" Kensuke muttered. "If Hikari hadn't of shown up…"

"I told Hikari our plans." Sakura said. "She isn't going to let him find out, cause he'll be devastated or whatever… at the expense of my happiness…"

"Hey, we'll just have to be more careful…" Kensuke said.

"Fine, then let's go back to your place." Sakura said. "If I know Hikari, she'll keep him occupied all night…"

"And what about us?" Kensuke asked.

"Well… I think I have some ideas that'll keep us busy for the afternoon…" Sakura said coyly. "Come on… I'll check if the coast is clear." Sakura cautiously popped her head out of the bushes. "The coast is clear, Kenny–kun."

Kensuke stood up and the pair of them walked towards their cars. "So, I'll see you in a little while then?"

"Yeah, let me stop home first to get something…" Sakura said as she kissed him on the cheek. "Then we can spend some _quality_ time together."

"You're the best girlfriend a guy could hope for." Kensuke said.

"No need to compliment me, we're already planning on having sex." Sakura said. "No go, before someone sees us."

"Right, right." Kensuke said as he got in his car. "Love you."

"I love you too, Kenny–kun." Sakura replied.

–––

Misato was walking down to the Cage to speak with Maya and Kotomi about the Evangelions and their combat readiness. As she walked in, she saw the pair conversing lovingly. After spending two months away from each other, Misato felt bad interrupting what looked like a happy movement, but her first priority would always be the safety of Tokyo–3, which required every Evangelion they now had access to, including Unit–03 and Unit–04. Misato walked up to them cheerfully and interjected.

"Sorry to interrupt." Misato said. "But do you two have a moment?"

"Of course, Commander." Maya said.

"What can we help you with?" Kotomi asked.

"Unit–03 and Unit–04." Misato said. "Are they ready yet?"

"Unit–03 is undergoing the final fitting and painting of its armor." Maya said. "Same color scheme as before, should be done by this afternoon."

"And Bardiel?" Misato asked. "It's totally gone?"

"The Angel Bardiel has been completely eradicated." Maya said reassuringly. "Every muscle fiber and sinew was inspected and any signs of contamination were burned away, which lengthened the healing process considerably. Thankfully it was so heavily damaged that Bardiel's parasitic nature had nothing to feed off of and died… but at least the damn thing left us another workable S2 Engine which has also been totally cleared of contamination as well."

"Good… one problem out of the way." Misato said. "Now, what about Unit–04?"

"Unit–04's been fitted with all the pylon technology, and the paint color's been altered a bit." Kotomi said.

"I thought I said that it was fine."

"Well, it looked weird up against the uh… bright and unique colors of the rest of the Evangelions." Kotomi said. "Unit–04 is now olive green with goldenrod and vermillion highlights."

"Why?" Misato asked puzzledly.

"So it would stand out." Kotomi replied. "And it looks really nice too."

"I'll take your word for it." Misato said. "And any word on Unit–06's delivery date?"

"Two weeks, give or a take a few days." Maya replied. "It's coming by naval convoy again, so it'll depend on the currents."

"And then we'll have seven…" Misato said sullenly.

"Yeah, it's certainly a lot of power." Maya replied. "What do even need seven for? Wasn't four enough?"

"It's out of my hands." Misato said. "I can't really change it, and we'll just have to deal with the danger a cage almost full to the brim with Evangelions."

"Like how Kaji was shipped off on a secret mission no one knew about?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, kinda like that, but this isn't as depressing, more worrisome." Misato replied.

"How are you two… doing?" Kotomi asked nervously.

"Well…" Misato looked around and didn't see anyone else near them. "We're taking it slow… his request."

"Why?" Maya asked.

"It's his way of apologizing." Misato said. "As dumb as it is to apologize like that, he's at least trying to make up for it in his own way…"

"Maybe we could go on a double date again!" Kotomi said excitedly.

"Kotomi, I don't think…" Maya began.

"Actually, that would be nice." Misato said. "Maybe it'll help move things along…"

"Move them along?" Kotomi asked.

"Look, as mad as I am about his… choosing to do whatever he did… I still love the jerk." Misato replied. "He did it to protect me… I just wish he'd have told me… even if it was a risk… it would have been nice to know."

"Sounds like he's punishing himself." Kotomi said.

"Well… he did say if he could do it over, he'd have chosen to stay with me." Misato said. "I just don't know if I trust what he's saying."

"You should." Maya said. "Look, he should have told you he wasn't dead, but maybe he regrets is decision… just ask him."

"Maybe after the double date." Misato said. "He's still a little skittish about going anywhere but here and the apartment."

"Wait, you live together?" Kotomi asked.

"Yeah, you said you were taking it slow!" Maya said. "Cause that's not slow."

"He's living in the old apartment." Misato said. "It's nice that he's so close by… but it's enough distance he can brood or whatever men do on their own."

"You're far more qualified to answer that question than either of us." Kotomi joked.

"I guess…" Misato replied. "Anyway, what were we talking about again?"

"Sorry…" Maya said. "We said Unit–03 and Unit–04 are online."

"Right, Unit–04's been repainted, Unit–03 is Angel free." Misato repeated. "Wat about the other four? Has the battle damage been repaired?"

"All damaged armor has been replaced, the paint's been refreshed on the four of them." Maya explained. "All tissue damage has been healed, they're all ready for whenever the next Angel decides to show itself."

"Good." Misato replied. "I just hope another Angel never shows up."

"Well, let's just hope that's what happens." Maya replied.

"Agreed." Kotomi said.

"It's always nice to have hope." Misato replied. "Now, I think I've interrupted enough of our time together… I'll see you both later."

–––

Mari was wondering thorough NERV HQ late in the evening. She had snuck out late to go and clear her head. NERV wasn't necessarily her first choice, but she needed someone to talk to, and Mari had a pretty good idea of where to turn, even if it had been some time since the time she'd gotten advice like this, she still hoped they would listen. Mari walked calmly into the Cage and looked around. She didn't see anyone in the vicinity, but she saw not four Evangelions, but six. Mari strolled down to where Unit–01 and Unit–02 were standing across from Unit–04.

"What an odd color choice…" Mari said. "But it works…" Mari turned to Unit–01 and Unit–02 and smile broadly. "Hi…" Mari said quietly. "I know it's been a long time… but I just… I just wanted to talk, ok? You don't even have to respond… I'm fine just like this…" Unit–01 and Unit–02's eyes lit up and appeared to look directly at Mari. "Oh… so you can hear me." Their eyes flashed once. "Oh good…" Mari sighed. "You know, after coming face to face with Lilith again and getting away, I was happy not piloting. After things settled down, it was nice to be able to just be… normal." Mari frowned.

"Ever since my parents died, I haven't been normal… I was an odd kid… I was never quite like everyone else… and then I was pushed through grades because I'd be bored and cause trouble… and then I ended up in college with you two… I felt more normal then… but then I was trapped for what seemed like an eternity with a sadistic bitch… and then I was free and fighting to save the world… but I still didn't really get to relax… I had to protect Shinji and Asuka… even if I did a bad job a lot of the time, I still did my best… but then Shinji and Asuka saved the world and we didn't have to pilot anymore… and I was happy… I was finally normal with friends and unrequited love, and it was great… but now we're back piloting and I can't take risks anymore… but I do have a new Evangelion… it's the pink one if you couldn't already guess… but I can't take risks anymore because I made a promise to rei… she begged me to not do anything reckless again… so how can I fight properly if I can't just run and do something dangerous… Angels aren't exactly safe and cuddly…" Mari sighed.

"I don't know… maybe I'm just being stupid… Rei is so much like Shinji… she may not understand her feelings, but who really does? She's kind an cares so much about the people she considers friends… and I'm finally friends with her again… so much has happened… she avoided talking to me for three years too… she would talk around me and avoid saying anything directly to me… it was tough, having someone talk to your mutual friends and ignore anything you contribute to the conversation… I'm surprised she kept it up as long as she did… but I finally got her to talk to me… even if I didn't go about it right…" Mari sniffled. "And I regret pushing her so much… I shouldn't have overreacted like that… it makes me no better than some jerk asshole who doesn't get what they want… but she forgave me… and I know it doesn't make it better… but at least she doesn't think less of me for it…" Mari wiped her face. "And you know what? Rei thought that I loved her because of how much she's like you, Yui. I kinda get her concerns… but it still hurt to be told that she thought I was like that… she's just so special… so different from anyone I've ever met… we're two weird peas in a weird pod… and when I'm with her, I feel happy… its better now because we're talking again… kinda… it's not like we talk a lot, but she says good morning to me… and I know she cares about me because she said so…" Mari sighed again.

"I know we can't talk directly… but you're the only ones I felt comfortable enough to vent all this to… Shinji and Asuka have their own shit to deal with… they don't need me piling on… but it feels good to just say it and get it off my chest… and it feels like old times with me coming here just to talk to you… I guess I missed it after all… anyway… its late and I should walk back home before anyone gets worried… I don't want them sending out search parties to find me…" Mari smiled. "Thanks for listening to me ramble… I'll come back and visit soon, ok?" Unit–01 and Unit–02's eyes flashed once and then shut back off. "Goodnight…" Mari said as she left.

* * *

May 17, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Senior High School, Class 3–A

Rei was sitting in class staring out the window. She had been thinking the past few days about her feelings for Mari, which were still very confusing to her. There was still a lot to understand about them and her emotions in general. But now, Rei had moved onto a different subject altogether, her purpose as a pilot and how things have changed since she last piloted an Evangelion.

'So much has changed in the past three years…' Rei thought as she looked out the window at the birds perched in a tree. 'I am no longer the same person who blindly followed orders… I think for myself now… no one is telling me what to do… or how I should behave… I am no longer isolated from others… I no longer live alone… am I am no longer in the dark about my origins…' Rei sighed.

'But… now that my higher purpose is gone… what is left? Am I just to be human? I know onii–chan says that I am human, he is incorrect… I was made partly from an Angel… which means I am not purely human… I do not suffer as other women do… something that makes me feel less than… but Asuka says it doesn't make me any less of a woman… that all people are different…' Rei smiled. 'I know they mean well… but I do not view myself as human… I do not understand what it is to be human…' Rei shuttered slightly. 'I used to be tethered to life… I used to be replaceable… my death was meaningless to others for a time… I could be reborn… yet now through the actions of another… I am unique… so perhaps I am now human because now… I can die… my next death will be my last…' Rei paused.

'But what does mortality mean? It is not something I have thought about it before… I have never had to worry about dying… but now… I am mortal… it isn't scary… it just is…' Rei shifted her gaze from the birds in the tree to a few kids sneaking through the courtyard. 'But I am no longer immortal… so will I feel fear inside the Evangelion? I did feel fear for the first time piloting in the last battle… fear for myself… fear for onii–chan… fear for Asuka… and fear for Mari… I have never felt fear before while piloting… it was not a good feeling… but how will things change now that I am not replaceable… I cannot sacrifice myself again to save everyone… because it will be permanent… but I used to pilot knowing I was replaceable… so I will have to change how I pilot… but I also have to work on my fear of dying… I have never had to think about my own mortality… I certainly did not enjoy knowing I couldn't simply die… being forcibly resurrected until my usefulness was gone…' Rei sighed.

'I am not sure how to feel now… but I need to ask someone about it… onii–chan may not be the best choice… he will worry too much about me… Asuka has died before… but perhaps it would be selfish of me to ask her to relive that… I know I dislike thinking about my own deaths… perhaps…' Rei began as the bell interrupted her thought.

 ** _Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding_**

'Oh… class went by very fast today…' Rei thought. 'So it looks like it's time to go home.' Rei looked over to Mari and remembered what had been thinking. 'Perhaps Mari is best suited to ask… she has faced her own mortality against Lilith… and she would know how to face her fears… and it would nice to get her advice again… but… I don't want her to think I'm afraid… I don't want her to worry…' Rei sighed. 'Perhaps I should just figure it out myself… I don't want to be a burden to anyone…'

* * *

May 25, 2020 – Comfort 17 Apartments

It was early morning and Rei was in a restless sleep. It had been a while since she had dwelled on the past, but in recent weeks, after two Angel attacks, and upon contemplating her own mortality, and refusing to ask anyone's advice for fear of over burdening them, Rei's mind wandered one night to a series of particularly horrible memories, her two deaths, and one other from when her third life began, which compared to her deaths, was far worse than anyone could ever imagine.

 ** _Flashback_**

 ** _Rei got to her feet unsteadily. Even though she had memories of standing and walking before, this was her first time experiencing it. When she was mostly steady on her feet, she turned slowly to the opening and faced Ritsuko. "Who are you?"_**

 ** _"What, you don't remember me?" Ritsuko asked. "Do you remember your name?"_**

 ** _"I am… Rei Ayanami." Rei replied. "I remember… other things… but it is all… jumbled. I cannot piece my memories together. I am… confused."_**

 ** _"Well, at least you're not that stupid." Ritsuko said absentmindedly._**

 ** _"I am not stupid." Rei replied. "I know I am the third."_**

 ** _"Excuse me?" Ritsuko asked. "Are you contradicting me?"_**

 ** _"I am defending my self–worth from your baseless accusations." Rei said. "I know I am not stupid… am I not supposed to correct others when they are wrong?"_**

 ** _"No… you're supposed to be obedient to your elders." Ritsuko said._**

 ** _"I do not have any elders." Rei said. "I was created… not born… I do not have parents…"_**

 ** _"Good, so you know that you're an abomination." Ritsuko said coldly._**

 ** _"I am not an abomination." Rei replied. "I did not wish to be created… I do not even remember who you are… yet you hate me. Why do you hate me? What did I do to hurt your feelings?"_**

 ** _"Your attitude and lack of respect annoys me." Ritsuko said. "Now, lay down on the table."_**

 ** _"Why?" Rei asked._**

 ** _"I need to make sure you're healthy." Ritsuko said._**

 ** _Rei gave her a puzzled look and went over to the table on the side of the room. Rei laid down and was then surprised when she was forcibly restrained to the table by Ritsuko._**

 ** _"Why have you restrained me?" Rei asked._**

 ** _"Well, it's quite simple really…" Ritsuko said as she grabbed a heavy bag full of tools. "No one else knows what you are… and they are to assume that you have survived, you have to be injured, don't you?"_**

 ** _Rei got a worried look in her eye. "What do you mean?"_**

 ** _"I mean I am going to break your bones and cause you many different injuries to make it look as though you barely lived through that stupid stunt of yours." Ritsuko said coldly._**

 ** _"What did I do?" Rei asked. "I do not remember any of this."_**

 ** _"You will… in time…" Ritsuko said angrily._**

 ** _"Why are you doing this to me?" Rei asked._**

 ** _"I don't like you." Ritsuko said. "Do I need more of a reason?"_**

 ** _"I do not know." Rei said nervously._**

 ** _"Seeing as you don't know, we should begin." Ritsuko said as she grabbed a tool from the bag. "This will hurt you far more than it will hurt me."_**

 ** _"AAAAHHHHH!" Rei screamed as Ritsuko began._**

End Flashback

Rei woke up, screaming loudly

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rei continued screaming as she awoke, frozen with fear and writhing in pain as she thought she felt her body being broken once again by the bad doctor. Rei's door slammed open and Asuka, Shinji, Mari & Misato appeared in the doorway and turned the lights on.

"Rei!" Misato shouted as everyone ran to her bedside. "Rei, wake up!"

Rei opened her eyes and looked around, still reeling from her dream. "I… where am I…?"

"You're in your bed, in your room." Shinji said.

"Why were you screaming?" Asuka asked.

"I was… I thought…" Rei stammered as she sat up. "I am sorry…"

"Are you ok?" Mari asked worriedly.

"I… I will be fine…" Rei replied shakily as she got out of bed. "It was just a bad dream… I am sorry I woke you all up…"

"Are you sure, Rei?" Shinji asked as Mari slipped out of the room. "You sounded afraid when you wake up."

"I am sure, onii–chan…" Rei replied. "I will just get some water and go back to sleep…"

"Ok…" Misato replied. "Feel better, Rei."

"As long as you're sure." Shinji said as he hugged Rei.

"I am." Rei replied. "You don't have to worry."

"Ok, goodnight." Shinji said as Mari slipped back into the room.

"Yeah, goodnight." Asuka said as she gave Rei a quick hug. "If you ever need to talk…"

"I know, Asuka." Rei said. "Thank you."

Shinji and Asuka left the room, and Mari stood there awkwardly for a moment after everyone left, and she nervously held out a glass of water. "Here… drink this." Mari muttered. "As long as you're ok…"

"Mari, I… can I… uh…" Rei stammered. "Could you stay for a moment?"

"Sure…" Mari said as Rei sat down on her bed.

"Would you like to sit down?" Rei asked. "Next to me…"

"Yeah…" Mari said as she sat nervously next to Rei. "What… what did you need to talk about?"

"Well… the past few weeks, I've been thinking about my life." Rei said. "I'm a pilot again, but I'm no longer immortal… I can die now… I could die the next time we face an Angel… any of us could die…"

"I know." Mari replied. "We all take that risk going out to pilot."

"It's not only that." Rei replied. "The last time I piloted… I was replaceable… I could be resurrected. But now… I can actually die… I won't remember how I die, I won't be stuck with the memory of it… but I've never had to deal with this before…"

"How long have you been thinking about this?" Mari asked.

"Since the Angel attacked." Rei explained. "But I didn't start worrying about until last week… and I wanted to ask you about it, but I didn't want to be a burden…"

"Rei, you're not a burden." Mari said. "And I know we haven't talked about anything like this in a long time… but I'm always here to talk fi you need me. I'll always be here to talk."

"But I didn't want you to worry either." Rei said.

"Considering you came to me worried about my safety, it's really not an issue." Mari said. "I'm worried more about you not wanting to talk about it."

"Well… I don't know if I'm afraid of death or if I will freeze when it comes time to fight." Rei explained. "I don't want to be a hindrance on the battlefield."

"You won't be because you won't be alone." Mari said. "But dealing with mortality… I don't know how to help you."

"You don't?" Rei asked.

"Well… most people never deal with death, let alone die and come back to life." Mari said. "But I not sure how to help you process that…" Mari paused. "Well, maybe think of it this way… just like you want me to be careful, I'd like you to promise to not to think about dying… just fight to survive, just like everyone else."

"Fight to survive?" Rei asked.

"Well… when you know you can die, you have to think about something." Mari explained "Survival is a good motivator."

"What do you think about?" Rei asked.

"I… well… I didn't really think about anything except killing the Angel." Mari said.

"Oh… so you just focus on the task at hand and push everything else out of your mind?" Rei asked.

"That's the long and the short of it." Mari replied.

"Oh… I will try that." Rei said. "Thank you"

"Rei, what were you dreaming about?" Mari asked.

"I…" Rei said nervously "When I was reborn after Armisael. I dreamed of Akagi breaking my bones and injuring me to make it look like I had barely survived the explosion…"

"I know the story." Mari said as she wrapped her arm around Rei's shoulder. "Are you ok to sleep?"

"No." Rei said. "I am afraid to be alone."

"I can stay." Mari said. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"You don't have to sleep on the floor…" Mari said.

"Rei… it'll be easier." Mari said quietly. "We're not at that level with our relationship anymore."

"No, but we will be someday." Rei said. "Are sure the floor is ok?"

"I've slept in worse places." Mari replied as she left to get her pillow. Rei settled herself into bed and covered herself with her sheet. As Mari came back in, she shut off the light.

"Just remember, I'm right here, so you don't need to be afraid." Mari said.

"Ok." Rei said. "Thank you, Mari… its really nice of you to do that."

"It's the least I can do." Mari replied.

"Goodnight, Mari." Rei said as she snuggled into her bed.

"Goodnight, Rei." Mari said as she rolled over and fell asleep.

–––

Misato and Kaji were sitting in her office. Misato had a stack of files in front of her, and the pair of them were looking warily at them. They sat in silence for some times before Kaji broke the tepid silence.

"Why are we doing this now?" Kaji asked.

"Because Unit–06 arrived this morning." Misato said. "Fresh from France, Maya and Kotomi evaluated it already… it'll be combat ready once it's been outfitted with all the pylon enhancements and its S2 engine."

"Well, minus one thing of course…" Kaji muttered.

"I know, Kaji." Misato grumbled.

"Still… are we ready to do this?" Kaji asked. "Because this won't be easy. There's no Marduk to cover for us this time. We will be responsible for whatever decisions are made. If anything happens, we will be the ones everyone will turn to…"

"Don't you think I'm already well aware of that?" Misato asked. "Why do you think I've avoided doing this for so long? But I can't avoid it anymore… we have seven Evangelions and four pilots."

"And now we need to pick out three new victims." Kaji muttered.

"Thinking like that isn't going to make this any easier." Misato snapped.

"I know… but shouldn't Maya be here too?" Kaji asked. "I would feel better if we had someone to break the ties."

"Maya's on her way." Misato said. "But I pulled all the old Marduk files out, so we can go over everyone who's in here."

"You know who those kids are, right?" Kaji asked.

"Yes, I am aware." Misato said. "I've been aware for quite some time."

"So, when are we telling the kids about this?" Kaji asked. "Are they going to be allowed any input with this?"

"No we're not getting input from them… we're the ones in charge, not them." Misato said. "This is our decision, and whatever we decide has to be abided by. We'll inform them after we've made our final selections."

"Alright…" Kaji replied as Maya walked in.

"Sorry it took me so long." Maya said. "I was in the middle of some difficult work on the Second Branch's information. But some good news, Unit–06 is fully combat ready. The S2 Engine integrated itself into the Core without a hitch, and is reading as stable. The French even chose a nice color scheme."

"Blue, white, and red?" Kaji asked sarcastically in a bad French accent.

"No, it's teal with some navy blue and dandelion yellow highlights." Maya said. "Oddly enough, kinda like Unit–04, the colors work…"

"Well, that's a unique choice…" Kaji replied. "Though it'll blend right in…"

"And it's a discussion for another day." Misato said. "Right now we need to focus on choosing three new pilots to fill out our roster and man those Evangelions."

"From these files?" Maya asked as she pointed at the stack of folders in front of her. "That's a lot more than I thought it would be…"

"The old Marduk files." Kaji explained. "The shell company that was used as a front to select the pilots "impartially" or whatever."

"So three out of these will be our new pilots?" Maya asked.

"Yeah…" Kaji replied.

"We're gonna be here for a while." Misato replied. "So let's get started."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 150.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 125.0% (No Change)  
Mari – 77.8% (+8.3%)  
Rei – 70.7% (+3.9%)

Ok, just to get this out of the way, yes, this chapter is named after the epic two–part Star Trek: TNG episodes straddling the end of season 3 and the beginning of season 4. I chose this name for the chapter because our intrepid pilots are spanning both their normal lives, which began after Third Impacts, and their lives as pilots which picked back up when the Evangelions awakened after a three year slumber.

In terms of plot, this chapter really only bridges the gap from the last Angel to the next topic in the story, the new pilots. As our four pilots struggle to adjust back into being in combat situations against hostile creatures, the arrival of the final two Evangelions, and the rebuilding of another means that all seven Evangelions are now in Tokyo–3, and are all ready for combat. Now the pilots will be revealed in the next chapter, and it may be surprising how might come out of the woodwork to take up the control yokes.

Now I know it seemed silly to have them wait to contact the planes via video, and given the level of technology possible in the EVA–verse, you'd think that video communications would be easy, and this is correct, however, a secure connection over the air can only be done with a great deal of certainty over a shorter distance from special transmitter/receivers.

So, for the kids' monologues, each one doesn't necessarily stick to one topic, mainly because as I wanted it to be realistic with how our minds can wander when we're thinking about something. Shinji and Asuka stray here and there, while Mari jumps around a lot as she thinks of it, and Rei sticks to her one topic of humanity and mortality with little variation.

For the adults, Kaji and Misato are obviously taking it slow, with Kaji still regretting his time away from Misato. Maya and Kotomi are reunited after a two month separation because Kotomi and Takao were leading the recovery efforts in Nevada, with that base finally coming back online through their efforts. With those efforts, I've also attempted to explain the Sea of Dirac and how universes can be bridged under certain circumstances, as with what happened in _Gundam Invasion_ , where two universes in a multiverse were encountered.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	8. Chapter 8 – The Magnificent Seven

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 8 – The Magnificent Seven  
May 30, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Senior High School, Principal's Office

Lunchtime at the Tokyo–3 First Municipal Senior High School was a busy and hectic affair. Even close friends sometimes lost track of each other in the rush of excitement to take a break from the monotony of class in order to eat, and this was the best time to call students away without anyone noticing. It was just before lunch ended that Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke were quietly pulled from class and brought to the principal's office, unsure of why they were there.

"We're missing class!" Hikari exclaimed under her breath. "Why are we even here? We haven't done anything wrong… or at least I haven't…" Hikari glared at Toji.

"Hey, I didn't do nothing." Toji said. "Haven't had the time with you riding me to study…"

"Don't look at me either, he's the one that comes up what the dumb plans." Kensuke said.

"Yeah… but it's been almost two hours!" Hikari explained. "If we're not in trouble, why in the hell are we even here? School will be over by this rate!"

"Will you relax… maybe it's just a misunderstanding or something." Toji said. "Besides, it's Saturday, we aren't missing anything important."

"But our classwork, our homework!" Hikari explained. "We're going to fall behind! We'll fail our college entrance exams! This is horrible!"

"Look, our friends will make sure we get our shit, babe." Toji said calmingly. "Just relax, we'll figure this out, ok?"

"Fine, but I don't have to like it." Hikari muttered.

As they sat waiting impatiently outside for another half an hour, they were finally called into the office, and upon entering, much to their surprise, Misato, Kaji, and Maya sitting across from them.

"Uh… hi…?" Toji said nervously.

"Hey guys, why don't you take a seat." Misato said.

"Why?" Toji asked nervously.

"We just want to talk." Misato said. "That's all."

"The last time someone from NERV came to talk, I almost died." Toji said. "So excuse me if I don't want to stay."

"Toji, what do you mean?" Hikari asked.

"They're here to ask us to pilot." Toji replied. "Aren't you?"

"Well… yes." Misato said.

"As we're sure you're aware thought either the kids or someone's hacking of NERV's information networks…" Kaji said. "You know we have three additional Evangelions without pilots."

"Yeah, we know." Hikari said.

"Well, you now we're looking for pilots." Misato said.

"And…?" Kensuke asked excitedly.

"Well, we'd like you three to fill out our roster of pilots." Maya said. "Toji you would be back in Unit–03, and Hikari and Kensuke will be assigned to the new Evangelions"

"No." Toji said. "Absolutely not."

"Come on, Toji, at least hear them out." Kensuke said.

"No, I never want to pilot that thing again." Toji said. "I won't do it."

"Well, at least sit down and listen before you refuse outright." Misato said.

"Look, you don't have anything to hold over my head to get me to pilot again." Toji said. "Sakura's not in the hospital anymore, so you can't use that against me."

"Toji, you are Unit–03's pilot." Maya said.

"Find someone else!" Toji shouted. "I ain't doing it!"

"Look, Unit–03's Core is already keyed into your brain waves." Misato said bluntly. "So, either you pilot or we have to find a family member of yours to pilot. So who does that leave, Toji? It's either you or Sakura who are going to pilot Unit–03, and I'd rather not have to ask her."

"S… Sakura?" Toji asked. "Why would you do that?"

"Yeah, Sakura." Misato said.

"Once a Core has been synced to a pilot it is permanently synced." Maya explained. "Only siblings are capable with syncing to someone else's Core. So either you pilot, or we have to ask Sakura to do it in your place."

"But… I didn't…" Toji stammered. "That's… not fair…"

"Wait a second… " Hikari said angrily. "Why am I hearing about this from you? Why didn't Asuka give us a heads up? Why didn't she tell you Toji didn't want to pilot?!"

"Why would Asuka be telling you any of this?" Misato asked. "She's not in charge of these decisions."

"But Asuka promised she'd ague against Toji piloting!" Hikari said. "She promised me he'd never have to pilot!"

"Oh shit…" Kaji muttered.

"Well, not for nothing, but Asuka nor any of the others have been told about this yet. Their input into this decision wasn't necessary, we're the ones in charge, not them." Misato said. "Though she shouldn't have promised you something she knew she couldn't keep, cause she nor the others would never had had any say in the matter even if we told them about this ahead of time."

"Asuka… she lied… to me?" Hikari asked tearfully.

"I don't think she lied to you." Kaji said. "I think she just wanted to protect your feelings"

 ** _Ding dong ding ding… ding dong ding ding_**

"Oh… it's that late already?" Hikari asked woefully.

"It seems to be that way." Maya replied.

"Anyway…" Misato said tersely. "We're offering you the chance to pilot."

"Why us though?" Hikari asked. "Why out of probably a load of candidates, why us?"

"Well… we thought it would be easier if the new pilot candidates were already friends with our pilots…" Maya explained nervously. "Seeing as you seven kids are so close… you were the logical choices."

"And we're not asking for a decision right this second." Kaji said. "Take a week or two and decide if you really want to do this or not."

"What if we don't want to?" Hikari asked.

"Then we'll find someone else." Misato said. "But seeing as we're being honest with each other, we'd prefer you."

"So… uh… are you kidding about Sakura…" Toji asked. "Cause I don't want to do this…"

"Unfortunately not." Misato said. "And I'm sorry it has to be like this, but we need reliable pilots and I'd rather have three kids I know are decent individuals rather than some kids I don't know anything about inside massive war machines."

"I guess we'll let you know." Kensuke said.

"I'm surprised you didn't just say yes now." Kaji said.

"I uh… I really want to, but I… I don't want to do it without them." Kensuke said. "If they agree, I'll agree."

"Ok then." Misato said.

"Thanks for your time guys." Kaji said.

"Yeah, thanks…" Toji said as they left the room.

Hikari closed the door behind them and sighed. "I can't believe this… Asuka… Asuka promised." Hikari stamped her foot. "I hate being surprised like this…"

"Babe, where are you going?" Toji called after her.

"Home!" Hikari called back.

"So what are you going to do?" Kensuke asked.

"I really don't know…" Toji said as he began walking away. "I can't make her pilot… that'd be a dick move."

"Where are you going?" Kensuke asked.

"I'm going home too…" Toji replied. "I have a lot to think about."

"Yeah… we _all_ have a lot to think about." Kensuke muttered to himself.

–––

As the kids left class, Mari was having a great day. In Hikari's absence, Mari took the role of Class representative and thoroughly enjoyed ordering everyone to stand bow and sit like Hikari did. However, the power went to her head, and she assigned three boys to clean the room because they hadn't "respected her authority" properly.

"That was so much fun!" Mari exclaimed. "I can see why freckles does it. It's a total power trip!"

"Ok, Caesar, calm down." Asuka said. "You're not commanding the Roman Legions."

"I may as well be." Rei replied. "They follow your commands like that!" Mari snapped her fingers. "It's fucking awesome!"

"I'm more worried about where Hikari and the others were all afternoon." Rei said. "They disappeared at lunch and never came back."

"Yeah… where did they go?" Shinji asked.

"Who knows?" Asuka replied. "Maybe they were sick or something…"

"Hey, isn't that miso's car?" Mari asked, pointing out the blue Alpine. "I mean, it's not like it's a popular car in Japan."

"It looks like her car." Shinji said. "And those look like NERV SUVs."

"Why is it here?" Rei asked. "And why are those here too?"

"Yeah, she didn't even bother to come say hello." Mari said angrily.

"I don't know, maybe she's sponsoring something else for the school." Asuka said. "Like the festival or some shit."

"Well… our three friends are missing…" Rei said. "And there are three pilotless Evangelions… perhaps…"

"You think she's asking them?" Mari asked.

"That's dumb." Asuka said. "She wouldn't choose pilots without us. She wouldn't dare do that without our input…"

"Well… maybe not." Shinji said. "She kept my piloting a secret, this isn't any different."

"No… I don't believe it." Asuka said firmly. "This is too important."

"No, that seems like something Misato would do." Rei said. "It is not our decision…"

"What are you so worried about, princess?" Mari asked.

"I… I'm not worried." Asuka said unconvincingly. "I'll just be pissed if she didn't even bother to ask our opinions."

"Well, just ask her tonight." Shinji suggested.

"Don't worry baka, I damn sure will ask her." Asuka said intensely.

–––

After they got home, Shinji, Rei, and Mari continued their discussion about the possibility of their friends being selected as Evangelions pilots. Even though the possibility was real, Asuka was worried about Hikari's reaction because she had promised to fight against Toji being asked to pilot again, and said she would give her a heads up.

"I should call her and see what's wrong." Asuka said. "She could just not be feeling well… yeah, that's why they left." Asuka picked up her phone and dialed.

Brrring… brrring… brrring… brrring… brrring… brrring…

" _Hi… you've reached Hikari Horaki. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! Can't wait to speak with you!_ "

BEEP

"Uh, Hikari, it's me." Asuka said. "Is everything ok? You never came back from lunch and I'm worried about you… I'll uh… talk to you later."

Asuka hung up the phone worriedly. "Scheisse, scheisse, scheisse!" Asuka muttered as she ran her hand through her hair. "Hikari always answers her phone! Something must be wrong… really, really wrong…" Asuka moaned in frustration. "Gottverdammt, when is Misato going to get home?!"

–––

Several hours after the kids got home, Misato and Kaji arrived back at the apartment. The kids did their best to stay calm, but because Asuka had been obsessing about Hikari still not calling her back she wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

"Why were you at school today?" Asuka asked.

"Huh?" Misato asked.

"I think they know…" Kaji whispered.

"I saw your car, Misato…" Asuka grumbled.

"Actually I saw it…" Mari corrected her.

"Not now, four eyes!" Asuka snapped. "So, why were you there? You didn't say hello to us or anything. So what are you hiding?!"

"I think the jig is up, Misato." Kaji said. "You may as well tell them."

"I was going to… but Asuka confronted me when I got in the door!" Misato bemoaned.

"Well, I'm waiting…" Asuka said impatiently.

"Yeah, the rest of us are curious too." Mari added.

"Very curious." Rei added.

"Shit…" Misato muttered. "Yes we were at your school today."

"For what?" Asuka asked.

"Official NERV business." Misato replied. "We were there to recruit new Evangelions pilots…"

"Who. Did. You. Talk. To?" Asuka asked word by word.

"Ugh…" Misato sighed. "Toji, Kensuke, and Hikari."

"You did what?!" Asuka shouted.

"Asuka, calm down." Shinji said.

"Yeah, we told you that's what was going on." Mari quipped.

"Asuka, I know you're upset because you promised Hikari that you'd tell us to not pick Toji, but you should know better than to promise something you weren't sure you would keep." Misato said scoldingly.

"Well we should have had some input!" Asuka snapped.

"You're not the ones in charge." Misato said. "We are, so you don't get to make the decisions about who pilots and who doesn't."

"You might be the one in charge, but we still have to be able to trust the people you're sending out to fight with us!" Asuka exclaimed.

"What, don't you think your friends are good choices?" Kaji asked.

"I'm sure they are but they don't deserve this!" Asuka replied. "Did you think about the whole Bardiel thing maybe being an issue?!"

"Well of course we did." Kaji said. "And we gave him an ultimatum that could have been avoided."

"No, it was the only way, and he needed to know the truth." Misato said. "Either he pilots Unit–03, or Sakura does."

"Sakura?!" Shinji and Mari shouted in unison.

"The fuck?!" Asuka screamed.

"That seems distasteful…" Rei muttered.

"Well, we had to tell him the truth. Lying about why can pilot Unit–03 isn't something I'm prepared to do." Misato said. "But I am prepared to ask Sakura to pilot, and I will go to her if Toji says no."

"Misato!" Mari shouted angrily. "You can't do that!"

"Yes I can." Misato said. "I just hope Toji agrees to pilot so I won't have to…"

"So you even see that it's wrong!" Shinji exclaimed.

"IT's unfortunate is what it is." Misato said. "And not just about them, for all of you. We ask you all to pilot to protect us from something mankind created themselves."

"No shit." Mari quipped.

"We are aware of why we have to pilot." Rei said.

"And it's not fucking fair!" Asuka growled. "It's not fair to us to have to give up our lives to do this shit again, and its especially not fair to them to have to pilot! They doesn't deserve the burden!" Asuka shouted. "Especially Toji, he's absolutely terrified of Unit–03! Did you even think of that before you asked him? Did you think him nearly dying might make him not want to pilot?!"

"Are talking about Toji, or are we talking about you, Asuka?" Misato asked.

"I'm piloting because I'm not leaving those three without my help against the Angels! But this isn't about me, it's about our friends!" Asuka snapped. "And I actually died, Misato, get that fact straight. But Toji just came close, and it still fucked his head up a lot!" Asuka slammed her fist into the wall. "How can you force them into the same decision we had to make?! Toji never even fought against an Angel! He was just trapped in there while he watched us all get slaughtered! "

"I'm not forcing anyone in to anything." Misato said. "But they are the best choice from the candidates we have."

"No one else should have to suffer the burden of piloting." Rei said. "Why do we even need more pilots at all? We should be perfectly fine with the four of us."

"Rei, we need the pilots." Misato snapped. "No Evangelion can be without a pilot."

"Why do we need the pilots?" Rei asked. "Do we really need to risk a Fourth Impact, or risk being caught unaware with untrained pilots by our side? I trust our friends a great deal, but we don't know how they'll react under stress. We will be fine on our own."

"You don't get to make that decision, rei." Misato retorted.

"Oh, I'm tired of listening to this shit." Asuka snapped. "I'm going to bed."

"Asuka…" Shinji muttered.

"Unless you're coming to bed right now, Shinji, don't talk to me." Asuka said as she stormed off.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a second." Shinji replied.

"You know, I think Asuka has the right idea." Mari said as she and Shinji left. "We can't change your mind, so talking is pointless."

"Goodnight, Misato." Rei said.

"I guess you'll sleep on it then!" Misato called after the kids.

–––

Shinji walked into his and Asuka's room and saw Asuka curled up on the bed. We sat down next to her and began rubbing her back.

"Are you ok?" Shinji asked.

"No…" Asuka said weakly. "Misato made me liar in Hikari's eyes…"

"I'm sure she'll understand." Shinji said.

"No she won't!" Asuka sobbed. "I called her three time, and she didn't pick up her phone! She hates me now because of this!" Asuka sat up suddenly. "I need to go see her right now and explain…!"

"Asuka, it's late." Shinji said. "Just go see her first thing in the morning, once you've calmed down."

"I don't want to admit you're right, baka." Asuka replied. "But I have to fix this."

"Asuka, I'm sure she needs time to cool off too." Shinji said. "I'm sure once you explain what Misato did, she won't be mad."

"I'm not so sure." Asuka said as Shinji got in bed next to her. "But I'm glad you're so hopeful. I guess one of us needs to be."

"Well, Hikari's not someone that stays angry." Shinji said. "But I'm more worried that you're upset and you're not going to sleep."

"Shinji, stop worrying." Asuka said. "I'm fine."

"Asuka…" Shinji persisted.

"Shinji, I know you like to worry, but I'll be ok once I get ahold of Hikari." Asuka replied as she kissed Shinji on the cheek. "It's wonderful that you're so sweet."

"As long as you say you're ok, I won't worry." Shinji said.

"I'm fine, baka." Asuka said. "Just… what are we going to do? I never thought we'd have to deal with other pilots, let alone our own friends…"

"I don't know, Asuka." Shinji said. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad if we had help. I mean, more of should be able to neutralize an Angel quicker, right?"

"I know… Rei's right." Asuka said. "Do we have the right to make people suffer?"

"No, we don't." Shinji said. "But it's their decision, not ours. I won't try and stop them… and Toji… if he doesn't pilot, then what about Sakura?"

"I don't know… it's too much." Asuka said. "This is too complicated to think about before bed…" Asuka sighed. "Goodnight, baka Shinji."

"Goodnight, Asuka." Shinji replied.

* * *

May 31, 2020 – Akasaka Apartments

It was very early on Sunday morning when Asuka awoke. As much as she told Shinji the previous night she was alright to stop him from worrying, she was far from it. Knowing that Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke had been asked to pilot an Evangelion was driving her mad, and not being able to talk to Hikari was making her slightly paranoid about how mad her friend was at her. She had promised that Toji would not have to pilot again, and that she would try to talk Misato out of it, both of which didn't happen because Misato didn't want the kids muddling up the decision process.

So, Asuka snuck out of the house while Shinji was still asleep, and drove like mad to Hikari's. Asuka nervously parked her Skyline at Hikari's apartment, and went up to Hikari's door and rang the bell. She heard noise on the other side of the door, and Asuka called out.

"Hikari… I need to talk to you!" Asuka said loudly.

The door slid open revealing not Hikari, but her younger sister, Nozomi. "Asuka, she doesn't want to see you." Nozomi said. "Just go home."

"I just need to talk to her!" Asuka said. "Hikari, I'm sorry, I didn't know! Hikari, I'm sorry! Please, I just want to talk!"

"Do you even know how early it is?" Kodama asked as she came to the door. "Look, my little sister doesn't want to speak with you, so just go home."

"I thought you moved out?" Asuka asked. "And I'm not leaving until I speak with Hikari. I'm just going to stand here until she stops being so stubborn!" Asuka called into the apartment.

"Asuka, it's too early to deal with your shit." Kodama said. "Just go."

"Do you even know why your sister is upset?" Asuka asked. "Because I do, and neither of you two are capable of helping her through this."

"We're her sisters, we can help her through anything she needs." Kodama said snidely.

"Yeah, family first." Nozomi said sternly.

"Yeah, it's all about Hikari, eh?" Asuka shot back. "Cause I'm guessing she didn't tell you what's got her upset, did she?"

"That's none of your concern!" Nozomi said loudly.

"No, Asuka, I didn't." Hikari said solemnly from behind her sisters, looking much less cheerful than she usually did. "Because you're probably right, they wouldn't have any idea what I was asked yesterday… and I honestly thought that you of all people would've given me a heads up…"

"Hikari, go back to bed!" Kodama said. "We can handle her."

"Yeah, we'll make her go away!" Nozomi said.

"No… let her in." Hikari said dismissively. "She was worried enough to run here first thing this morning… so she may as well lay out her case."

Kodama and Nozomi reluctantly moved out of Asuka's way. "So where are we going to talk?" Asuka asked. "Your room?"

"Sitting room." Hikari said. "So they can listen in."

"Really?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, really." Hikari replied as she sat down on the couch.

Asuka nervously walked over to a chair and sat down, with Kodama and Nozomi flanking their sister on the couch. "Hikari… I… I'm sorry." Asuka began, unsure of exactly where to begin. "I… I'm sorry Misato asked you to pilot an Evangelion. It should never have happened…"

"Wait, she what?!" Kodama shouted.

"Why didn't you tell us, sis?" Nozomi whined.

"Because it wasn't your business to know." Hikari said angrily. "It's not your decision to make, is it?"

"No, it's a family decision!" Kotomi rebutted.

"Look, stop and let Asuka finish." Hikari said.

"Why?" Nozomi asked. "She doesn't deserve to explain anything to you."

"I said be quiet and let her talk!" Hikari snapped. "Asuka… continue."

"Look, I know that this isn't what you wanted, and I was wrong to assume that Misato was going to ask our opinions… I shouldn't have lied about that… and I'm sorry for that too."

"You should be." Kodama said rudely.

"Kodama, be quiet." Hikari said. "Go on…"

"Look, Misato told us flat out that even if she did ask our opinions it wouldn't have changed her mind." Asuka continued. "But… she did say something else. She wasn't bluffing about Toji. If he doesn't pilot…"

"You can't be serious." Hikari said. "There has to be another way."

"There isn't." Asuka replied. "It has to do with something about the Core… so it's either him…"

"… or her…" Hikari said woefully. "That's not even fair… she's too young…"

"She's not that much younger." Asuka said. "Otherwise…"

"Who?" Nozomi interrupted.

"None of your business." Asuka snapped.

"Bitch!" Nozomi said, jumping onto her feet.

"Nozomi, sit down and be quiet!" Hikari commanded as Nozomi reluctantly sat back down muttering incoherently under her breath.

"Look, its bullshit how this all went down, and it's not fair that any of you got put in the spot like that." Asuka continued, slightly more irritated than she already was by the peanut gallery in the room. "If I had known, do you really think I wouldn't have told you?"

"You would've…" Hikari said. "And you didn't really lie about anything either." Hikari sighed. "Misato just didn't want us finding out ahead of time… it's not your fault."

"And look, you don't have to pilot if you don't want to." Asuka said. "I don't have the right to ask you to fight with us…"

"Asuka, Toji's going to end up fighting." Hikari said. "And I'm not sending him out alone if I can be beside him to support him whatever way I can."

"Hikari…" Asuka muttered.

"Asuka, you're doing it because you want to fight and help Shinji." Hikari said. "don't you think I'd do the same?"

"Yeah… but…"

"You can't pilot sis!" Nozomi said incredulously. "Who's gonna take care of us if you're not home?!"

"Yeah, who's going to make lunch and clean and take care of dad?!" Kodama added.

"What are you…" Hikari began.

"Really, that's your fucking take away from _all_ this?!" Asuka said in a quiet rage. "That someone's not going to be here to take care of you?! You've got to be FUCKING KIDDING ME!" Asuka screamed. "You tow are the most selfish, ungrateful, and lazy fucking family in existence!" Asuka stood up and glared right at Kodama. "You're fucking older than her, grow the fuck up and learn to take care of yourself!" Asuka rounded on Nozomi next. "And you're fucking old enough to do some work around the house like cleaning or laundry!"

"Don't you tell us…" Kodama began.

"What, that you're both massive assholes!" Asuka shouted back. "You're so fucking worried about yourselves, you can't even see that your loving and wonderful sister is terrified about what's going on! Your heads are so far up your own asses, you can't see that maybe she needs some support right now. No, you want to know who's fucking making dinner and doing your laundry because you're too fucking useless to figure it out for yourselves."

"You're such a bitch!" Nozomi repeated.

"I may be a bitch, but at least I'm not ungrateful to the person who cared for you ungrateful fucks like a mother since your mother died." Asuka retorted loudly. "She barely had a life outside this house after your mother died thanks to you two always needing something, always using her so you didn't have to do anything for yourselves!" Asuka turned to Hikari. "I'm sorry, Hikari, but I have to leave… I honestly can't deal with their shit anymore… I know they hate me… but I never really like them much either."

"Asuka wait…" Hikari said as Asuka stormed out of the apartment and slammed the door behind her.

As Asuka got to her car, she fumbled in her pocket for her keys, her arms shaking in a rage from what she'd just heard.

"Asuka!" Hikari called out.

"What?!" Asuka shouted without thinking, before turning and seeing Hikari coming towards her. "Sorry Hikari, what is it?"

"Thanks for that…" Hikari said. "I know they're difficult with you."

"They're impossible to deal with." Asuka said. "And it sucks that they can't at least… you know… be cordial or something with me when I come by…"

"Hey… don't worry about it." Hikari said. "I know they're selfish about my time, and it's not fair… I just put up with it for the sake of not having an argument over dinner all the time. But thanks for defending me… maybe they'll think about what you said."

"I doubt it." Asuka replied.

"Well… maybe hearing it from you will make the difference." Hikari said. "But about piloting…"

"Yeah…?" Asuka asked.

"I'm still not sure." Hikari said. "But I would do it so Toji wouldn't be doing it alone." Hikari sighed. "Asuka… tell me the truth. Should I really do this?"

"Hikari… I can't tell you what to do." Asuka said. "Just follow you gut."

"Asuka, you have an opinion about everything." Hikari said. "Please, just tell me what you think…"

"Look, Hikari… I'd rather not see you have to get in an Evangelion." Asuka said. "You or the other two… you don't deserve it…"

"But?" Hikari asked.

"But, if I had to choose… I'd rather have people I know fighting with me than people I don't." Asuka said. "But don't let me dumb ass opinion change your mind and come fighting, got it?"

"I got it, Asuka." Hikari said as she hugged Asuka. "And I'm sorry I got mad at you… you just wanted to make me feel better, and I can't really fault you for something that was outside your control anyway."

"Thanks, Hikari." Asuka replied. "So, are you going to be ok?"

"Well… yeah." Hikari replied. "Once the shock wears off."

"That'll last a while…" Asuka quipped.

"Well, once it wears off you have one hell of a decision to make." Asuka said.

"I know…" Hikari mused. "And it'll be the most difficult decision of my life…"

–––

After getting up some time after Asuka did, Shinji and Mari left with Rei, who went elsewhere, and arrived on Toji's doorstep shortly thereafter. They knocked heavily on the door to get him to answer. When he did, they were faced with an irate Toji who was not in a good mood.

"So, you guys must know…" Toji muttered.

"Yeah… Misato told us last night." Shinji replied.

"Are you ok?" Shinji asked.

"No… no I'm not…" Toji muttered.

"Can we come in?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah…" Toji replied as he walked back indie. Shinji and Mari followed him in and closed the door behind them.

"So, where's the cutie pie?" Mari asked.

"She uh… went somewhere…" Toji said as he paced aimlessly around the room. "I honestly wasn't paying any attention…"

"Toji, you're wreck." Shinji said.

"I know…" Toji replied as he kept walking around..

"Toji do you wanna talk?" Shinji asked.

"What… yeah… maybe…" Toji muttered.

"Toji, sit down." Mari said.

"Huh…?" Toji muttered, snapping out of his stupor. "You said my name… you never call me by name…"

"I'm aware of that, Toji." Mari said. "Now please sit down." Toji, still shocked by Mari using his name, sat down. "So, Misato told us last night what she offered you guys… and she told us about what she offered to you specifically."

"Yeah…?" Toji asked.

"Misato told us she wasn't bluffing about it." Shinji said solemnly. "Either you pilot, or she's forced to ask Sakura to pilot."

"She'll go through with it too." Mari said. "She was very serious about it."

"Have you told Sakura let?" Shinji asked.

"No, because if I do, then she'll get the idea in her head to pilot." Toji said. "And I don't want her to go through that… ever."

"Toji, we'll find another way…" Shinji began.

"There isn't another way!" Toji shouted. "I've failed her once because I did the wrong thing, and I don't intend to do it again!"

"What is he…" Mari began.

"Sachiel, right?" Shinji asked. "I hit a building because I didn't know what I was doing, and the rubble hit Sakura. Is that what you're talking about?"

"Yeah, it is, and you pulled her out." Toji said. "I was too afraid to do anything, and I let my guard down and she fell behind…" Toji whimpered. "I almost lost her that day… and if she goes and pilots… she'll be that kind of danger all the time… I can't deal with that shit every again…"

"Mortal danger." Mari said. "She'd be in mortal danger."

"Mari, now is not…" Shinji began.

"No, Shinji, it is _exactly_ the time." Mari said plainly. "He knows exactly what I'm talking about too. You can't dance around the fucking words you mean, you just fucking say them. Sakura could get hurt like you did, like we all have. Or worse, she could actually up and die from piloting. We've all come close more than once, it's bound to happen eventually."

"She's right, man." Toji replied weakly. "It's exactly what I'm thinking about… Sakura could die if I don't step up…"

"Why do you have to protect her though?" Shinji asked. "She's a strong person."

"Because I made a promise to my mom!" Toji said. "When Sakura was born… my mom told me to promise her that I would always keep Sakura safe, no matter what." Toji sobbed. "If I don't pilot, I'd be breaking my promise and putting Sakura in harm's way. The only way to keep my promise is to go back and pilot… that… that thing."

"Look, Toji, Maya's worked really hard on restoring Unit–03." Mari said. "She would never have declared it battle ready if she hadn't personally gone over Unit–03 with a high resolution microscope and made sure every micron of Bardiel was gone and vaporized."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Toji said. "What if I don't have control again? I don't want to watch you guys get hurt… and I don't want you to guys to not fight either…"

"Toji… that won't happen again." Shinji said. "I won't wait until I lose control before I act…" Shinji sighed. "After seeing Asuka get gutted by those white devils… I never want to hesitate again…no one will ever get hurt again from my inaction."

"You mean that?" Toji asked.

"Yeah, I mean it." Shinji said.

"We all hesitated because you were in there, and didn't want to hurt you." Mari explained. "If we had thought it out, we could have saved you… two of us could have held down Unit–03, and the other two could have ripped your Entry Plug free. Then we could have taken Bardiel out without a problem."

"Huh…" Toji muttered. "So you guys would protect me?"

"If you piloted, we'd protect you the best we could." Mari replied. "We can't promise you won't get hurt… that's… uh… an impossible promise to keep."

"Well, then I guess it won't be so bad with four veterans covering me." Toji said.

"Well, if I'm being honest… it's kinda nice that if you guys do decide to pilot, we can actually trust you." Mari said.

"You mean that?" Toji asked.

"Of course I do, right puppy?" Mari replied.

"Right." Shinji said. "So do you feel any better?" Shinji asked.

"Not really." Toji replied. "Even if I'm ok with it, it's still not easy to think about going back inside an Evangelion… especially one that I almost died in."

"I don't think anything will ever make that feel better, Toji." Mari said. "You just have to be brave and think of your sister."

"I know…" Toji said. "But I need to tell Hikari that I'm going to pilot."

"What do you think she'll say?" Shinji asked.

"I don't know… she's probably expecting it with Sakura being involved now…" Toji said. "I hope she says no. I don't want her near this."

"Hey, freckles is a wonderful and strong person." Mari said. "She can pilot if she wants to."

"I know that, but I don't want her to get hurt either." Toji said. "I mean Shinji here must always be a nervous wreck when Asuka fights."

"I mean, I still get worried if that's what you mean." Shinji said. "But Asuka's trained forever… she's more than capable to fight without my help… even if I'm too stubborn or worried at times to see that."

"Aww, Shinji… that's so cute." Mari said. "She's lucky to have you."

"I'm lucky to have her." Shinji replied.

"See, this is why I don't want Hikari fighting and all." Toji replied. "I'm gonna worry more about her than myself."

"It happens." Shinji said. "You just have to balance the worry with your concentration."

"Is that all it takes?" Toji asked.

"It's not as easy as it sounds, you know." Mari said.

"I'm sure it's not… but I hope I can avoid it altogether." Toji said worriedly.

"What about Kensuke?" Shinji asked.

"I'm damn sure he's gonna pilot. That's like a no brainer." Toji said. "He's had a hard on for the Evangelions since forever… he's always wanted to pilot one… and him piloting one… he'd probably consider it his girlfriend or whatever."

Shinji and Mari laughed nervously. "Yeah… his girlfriend…" Mari quipped.

"So… have you seen it lately?" Toji asked. "Unit–03?"

"I haven't." Shinji said. "Not in a while anyway. Last time I saw it still didn't have arms, or much armor."

"I saw it a couple weeks ago." Mari said. "It looked just like it did before, same colors and everything. It was just missing some armor."

"Oh… so it's still black and gray…" Toji muttered. "Cool…"

"Well, not everyone can have pink as their color." Mari joked. "Or purple for that matter."

"I guess…" Toji replied.

"Hey, it looks kinda cool." Mari said. "Not as cool as say, a pink Evangelion, but buts at least imposing or whatever it is."

"Mari, we get it, you like pink." Shinji said.

"Yeah, and it looks fucking amazing on Unit–05." Mari quipped.

"Still, I'd rather not be piloting it, no matter the color." Toji said. "But I guess I don't have any other choice… I'm piloting to protect Sakura."

–––

Rei had met Shinji and Mari on her way out of the apartment. As they took off in Shinji's Ferrari, Rei went to her own car a blue Hyundai Tiburon and drove off towards Kensuke's apartment. She and Kensuke were not close by any means, but knowing that Asuka had run off to Hikari's and that Shinji and Mari were going to talk to Toji, Rei felt obligated to speak to Kensuke herself to see how he was doing. As she parked at his apartment, she went up to the door and kicked, with Sakura answering it.

"Hi, Rei." Sakura said. "How are you this morning?"

"Hello, Sakura." Rei replied. "I am doing fine… but I wanted to speak to Kensuke."

"I figured as much." Sakura said. "It's been a long night for him you know."

"I assume he is somewhat elated at the opportunity." Rei replied.

"He is, but he's also doubting himself too." Sakura said. "Maybe talking with you will make him feel better."

"I don't know if what I can tell him will make him feel better." Rei said honestly. "But I promise I won't lie to him about anything."

"That's fine." Sakura said. "I'm just glad you came to see him."

"We may not talk a lot, but we are still friends." Rei replied.

"How come you're not with your brother?" Rei asked.

"He was too distracted to even talk to, and I figured my boyfriend could use me more." Sakura replied as she led Rei into Kensuke's room. "That's all."

"Hi Kensuke." Rei said. "How are you?"

"Hi Rei…" Kensuke said. "I'm uh… I'm doing ok."

"I would have thought you'd be doing better." Rei replied.

"Well… I mean, I'm surprised I was even considered." Kensuke said. "I didn't think this would ever happen… I used to dream about it all the time… and now it's actually happening… I could be an Evangelion pilot…"

"Are you in shock?" Rei asked.

"A little." Kensuke said.

"We're all in shock." Sakura said. "Kenny–kun told me everything that happened yesterday."

"That Toji and Hikari were offered the same punishment?" Rei asked.

"That and how my brother is being forced to choose between piling or them making me pilot." Sakura explained. "I'm not very happy about it."

"It is an impossible decision for anyone to make." Rei said. "Though I would prefer that no one else had been asked to pilot."

"Why?" Kensuke asked.

"No one else deserves to suffer as an Evangelion pilot." Rei said. "We have suffered enough, I would not wish it upon anyone, even an enemy."

"So this wasn't your choice then." Sakura said.

"No, we were not consulted." Rei said. "Misato chose them all on her own."

"So, are you upset we got picked?" Kensuke asked.

"I am not upset you were chosen." Rei said. "I'm upset that you may have to pilot, which as I said is unfair."

"Don't you want the help?" Kensuke asked. "I mean, you four could use all the help you could get. Maybe it would make things easier on you."

"It may, but it would put you three in unnecessary danger." Rei said. "And you don't deserve that. You deserve to be happy."

"But… I am happy, I really am." Kensuke said. "I want to help, I really want to help."

"Why?" Rei asked. "What would you get out of piloting?"

"I… well…" Kensuke stammered. "I've always wanted to pilot. IS there any other reason?"

"Are you sure that's what you want? Do you know what you're getting yourself into?" Rei asked. "And are you sure that's what Sakura wants?"

"I… I don't know what Sakura wants…" Kensuke said as he turned to Sakura. "I… I didn't even think about what you'd want me to do."

"Well, I don't really want you to go." Sakura said. "I already know I'm losing Toji to this piloting thing, and then I'm sure Hikari will follow him because that's how she is, and then my boyfriend wants to go off and fight like some kind child solider fantasy."

"It's not…" Kensuke stammered. "That's not the only reason why, Sakura."

"Then what are the reasons, Kenny–kun?" Sakura asked tearfully. "Because I don't want you to get hurt unless you have a damn good reason to!"

"I… I don't want to pilot just because I've always wanted to." Kensuke explained. "I'd be abandoning my friends if I were the only person to say no… I can't do that."

"That cannot be your only reason." Rei said bluntly. "If it was, it was not very convincing."

"It's not." Kensuke replied. "I just…"

"Then what is it?" Sakura repeated. "Please, I just want to understand what you're thinking, Kenny–kun."

"I've always been… weird." Kensuke explained. "I'm not as smart s my friends, I'm not as cool, or attractive… I'm just a nerd who likes the military. So… what do I have to look forward to in life with my mediocre grades? I'm not going anywhere… I'm not going to make anything of myself…"

"Kensuke, don't say that!" Sakura said angrily. "You're not weird at all!"

"Maybe not to you, Sakura." Kensuke said. "But a lot of other people… you don't hear what they mutter about me under their breath. I'm just the freak who hangs out with the EVA pilots, I'm the weirdo always hanging around Hikari, I'm the guy who's probably some sort of fag." Kensuke shook his head. "Even my dad the past few years avoids me whenever he can. He just works and ignores me… I'm a disappointment to him… and he says my mother would be disappointed in me too…"

"That's not true…" Sakura said. "You'd… you'd have told me about that…"

"I… I didn't know how…" Kensuke said.

"I believe Kensuke was trying to shield your feelings, Sakura." Rei said. "A common occurrence to make sure the ones we love do not worry constantly about us."

"I guess…" Sakura replied. "But why does all that matter?"

"Because, out of the three of them, Kensuke's extensive knowledge of NERV, the Evangelions, and its operations would be a great asset in the long run." Rei said. "Anyone who can memorize such facts is not in fact useless, but very intelligent, just unfocused…"

"Thanks, Rei…" Kensuke replied.

"I was only telling the truth." Rei said bluntly.

"I meant Kensuke, Rei." Sakura said. "But thank you for that." Sakura turned to Kensuke. "Why is anything you said important? It didn't make any sense."

"Because if I pilot an Evangelion, it'll probably be the only change I make in the world in my life." Kensuke said. "The only important thing I'll do that will ever make a lasting difference… beyond that… I'm useless…"

"You're not useless, Kenny–kun…" Sakura said tearfully. "You make me happy… isn't that enough?"

"It is… but if you had the chance to do something that could change the world… do something more… become extraordinary, wouldn't you take it?" Kensuke asked.

"I… I guess I would…" Sakura said. "But I still don't want you to get hurt…" Sakura turned to Rei. "Rei, if he does pilot, can you… protect him?"

"I will do my best, Sakura." Rei said. "I can promise nothing more."

"Thank you, Rei." Sakura replied.

"So, Sakura… is it ok for me to pilot?" Kensuke asked.

"Yes, Kenny–kun, it is." Sakura said.

"Then I guess we're colleagues now." Kensuke said.

"We are." Rei replied. "I just hope you know what you're getting into."

"Well, being friends with you guys… I do know." Kensuke said. "It won't be easy, but anything worthwhile rarely is."

* * *

June 1, 2020 – NERV HQ

Misato was sitting in her office, upset at recent events. Not only had the pilots she wanted to join NERV rebuffed her offer, her current pilots were upset that they weren't informed of the decision ahead of time, and would have liked to give input on who was to be selected. Misato didn't think any of this would happen, and was over focusing about how they gone about informing them. Maya and Kaji were with her, trying to help her make sense of things.

"Why were they so upset?" Misato lamented.

"Well… we did spring it on them." Maya said. "That wasn't necessarily the best way to go about it I think."

"Well, the direct approach is always the best." Misato said. "I don't want to be like the previous administration."

"Look, Misato, you didn't do anything wrong." Kaji said. "At least with the new pilots."

"Kaji, we've been over this already… I don't want hear it again." Misato said tiredly.

"Misato, he's right." Maya said. "We both told you we should have discussed it with our pilots first. It wasn't fair for them to find out afterwards."

"Yeah, but their opinions…" Misato began.

"They matter." Kaji said. "Asuka was right with what she said. They may be our pilots, but those kids are the ones in the field, so anyone being picked should _at the very least_ be brought by them for their opinion."

"What you do with the opinion is up to you, but they deserved to know first." Maya added.

"I doubt it would have made a difference with their reactions." Misato replied.

"Maybe not." Kaji said. "Maybe they would have helped talk to their friends and made this all so much less stressful on all of us."

"Yeah, and then the other three wouldn't have been so upset about not getting a heads up." Maya said.

"I don't think it would have gone down like that…" Misato muttered.

"Is that because you really believe that?" Maya asked.

"Or is it because you don't want to admit the two of us were right?" Kaji asked.

"I… I don't know why I talk to guys about anything." Misato retorted.

"Misato, you have to realize that maybe we fucked up by doing things the way we did them." Kaji replied.

"We definitely could have done better." Maya said.

"Well… maybe I should have listened more to your opinions." Misato said. "But it's over now, so what do we do?"

"We hope our kids can convince them to pilot, because I don't really think anyone else would mesh with them." Kaji said. "What do you think Maya?"

"Those three are our best bet at a cohesive pilot corps." Maya said.

"Well, at least made the correct decision in that regard." Misato said. "Now we just have to hope for the best."

"That's just your average Tuesday here at NERV." Kaji joked. "Just waiting for an Angel to attack."

"It's Monday, Kaji." Misato said.

"Whatever…" Kaji retorted. "It's still just your average day here at NERV."

–––

The kids had just gotten home from school after a very long and silent day. Even though they had all spoken with their friends individually the day before, there was still a bit of general unease about the whole situation from all seven of them. As they got home, the kids got to talking about improving the situation, though they weren't sure how.

"That sucked." Mari said bluntly. "I mean we barely spoke to them all damn day."

"That's to be expected, Mari." Rei replied. "They've had quite a shock."

"Still…" Mari replied. "We should have at least tried to talk."

"No, we need to give them space." Shinji said.

"Do we have to?" Mari asked. "We should be asking how they feel?"

"Mari, do not pester them." Rei said. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." Mari replied.

"Still… I was wondering about something…" Asuka muttered.

"What about, princess?" Mari asked.

"Well…you know how Shinji and I sync to our mother's souls…" Asuka asked. "Well… our mothers died in accidents… but… what would they be syncing to?"

"Huh… that's a good question." Shinji said.

"I never really thought about it." Rei said.

"Well… that's a stumper of a question…" Mari said. "You don't think…"

"Look, a lot of fucked up shit was done under the old administration of NERV." Asuka said. "No offence Shinji."

"My dad was a crazy asshole, its fine, Asuka." Shinji said.

"Well… we can't let them pilot without knowing the truth." Asuka said. "Right?"

"But we do not even know the full truth." Rei said.

"Well, there is one person who know the full truth." Mari said.

"I do not think Maya was privy to everything that she needs to know." Rei said. "As intelligent as she is, she is most likely missing some unscrupulous details."

"You don't mean…" Shinji said.

"Yes, puppy, I do." Mari said. "I think we need to take a road trip in the morning…"

"And miss school?" Asuka asked. "Hikari was upset the last time we missed school, and I don't want to piss her off again."

"Would you rather sit in school all day or find out the truth?" Mari asked.

"I…" Asuka stammered. "Gottverdammt…"

"I would also like to find out the truth." Rei said.

"Well, it's settled then." Mari said. "Looks like we're taking a drive…"

* * *

June 2, 2020 – New Yokosuka Maximum Security Prison

The kids were up early on this particular Tuesday morning, however it wasn't so they could get to school, but it was so they could pay someone a very special visit. They were sitting in an enclosed visiting area at the prison, waiting for the prisoner to be brought to them. The door opened with two prison guards escorting Kozo Fuyutsuki to see them.

"Oh my…" Fuyutsuki said tiredly. "I didn't realize it was to be all four of you."

"Well, we didn't either until yesterday." Mari said. "How are you, sensei?"

"Oh, you know… taking it one day at a time." Fuyutsuki said.

"Did you get the art supplies we sent?" Shinji asked.

"Of course I did, and thank you so much for them. They do help pass the time here." Fuyutsuki said happily. "But I do believe you're next visit wasn't supposed to be for a few weeks with school and everything… and come to think of it, shouldn't you be in school right now? Is something the matter?"

"Well, there have been some changes as of late." Mari said. "A lot of changes."

"What kind of changes?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Well, the Evangelions have woken up for one." Asuka said.

"And The Second Branch has reappeared from its Sea of Dirac." Rei added.

"Oh, and we've killed two new Angels." Shinji added.

"Oh, and there are seven Evangelions sitting in NERV HQ." Mari said. "And three of them need pilots."

"Oh, is that all?" Fuyutsuki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh… I feel we're missing something." Mari said. "Guys…?"

"Misato's been promoted to Commander." Shinji said.

"And the United Nations has been cleared of SEELE's supporters." Asuka added.

"And Kaji has returned from the grave." Rei said.

"Wait… Kaji is… alive?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"Yes, he was in hiding the past three years." Shinji said.

"My word…" Fuyutsuki said. "This is a lot to process…"

"I'm sorry we have to dump this all on you at once, sensei." Mari said. "But we need your help with something."

"Mari, I know you enjoy jokes, but I'm in prison." Fuyutsuki said. "How can I be of any help to you?"

"We need to know something about the Evangelions." Mari said. "Something only you and a few others would know."

"Well, I daresay Maya has all the notes from the doctors Akagi and your parents, and even myself on the subject." Fuyutsuki explained.

"It's not going to be in the notes." Mari said.

"It about the other pilots…" Asuka said. "How… how are they chosen?"

"How…?" Fuyutsuki asked nervously. "Children, why is this so important?"

"Well…" Shinji said. "Three of our friends have been selected to pilot the other Evangelions… Toji's back to piloting Unit–03, and the other two… well…"

"We were curious how they would be able to sync to Evangelions." Rei said. "We understand the theory, but we are unsure how they specifically are able to do this."

"Well… this isn't a pleasant story, I'm afraid." Fuyutsuki said. "But I'm guessing you want to know so you can tell your friends exactly what they're getting into."

"Yeah, exactly." Mari said.

"Well… where to begin…" Fuyutsuki said. "As you are all already aware, the Evangelions do not have souls in them, they are simply very large, empty shells."

"Yeah." Asuka said.

"Go on." Shinji said encouragingly.

"In order for an Evangelion to be useable, it needs a resident soul." Fuyutsuki explained. "With this resident soul, the pilot can connect with it and move the Evangelion as an extension of their own body."

"Makes sense." Rei said.

"Well, after Yui and Kyoko were swallowed up by the Cores, piloting for those Evangelion became possible with two people." Fuyutsuki explained, motioning to Shinji and Asuka. "Now, with your mothers souls present within your respective Evangelions Cores, you are able to sync and pilot. The prevailing theory on pilots are that there has to be a bond to the soul, whether it be maternal or some other kind of love, it should enable a solid synchronization between pilot and Evangelion. Shinji can pilot Unit–01, but Rei may also be able to pilot because she was born of Yui, and Mari…"

"I would be able to pilot because of the deep affection me and Yui had…" Mari replied.

"Yes, that would be the case." Fuyutsuki said.

"So, without our mothers, how are Rei and I able to sync exactly?" Mari asked.

"Yes, I have been wondering the same thing." Rei said.

"Well, Rei, you are piloting with a Core hat contains a fragment of your own soul, taken quite unceremoniously by Gendo after your first death…" Fuyutsuki said sullenly. "I did not wish for it to happen, but it was nonnegotiable. So, you are able to pilot a version of yourself, being compatible with your own soul."

"How did I even get a soul?" Rei asked. "I… I have always wondered."

"Well… when a recovery attempt was made on Yui… uh… a biologic mess was reconstituted, but within that, some of Yui's soul was also either captured or copied." Fuyutsuki said. "I lean towards the ladder explanation, otherwise I doubt Unit–01 would have been as stable as it was. Then your soul was accidently combined with that of Lilith's, recovered from her Core before Mari experimented on it during Project Alcion."

"Oh…" Rei said. "I did not anticipate… that."

"Rei, whatever you were born from, you are still unique." Fuyutsuki said. "I am just sorry things were not easier for you…"

"Thank you for saying that…" Rei said sheepishly. "Thank you for indulging my question."

"It is the least I can do, Rei." Fuyutsuki said.

"So… how exactly do I sync, sensei?" Mari asked.

"Well, you're using Lilith's original Core." Fuyutsuki said. "The one recovered in Antarctica by Dr. Kenji Katsuragi's expedition way back in October 1997."

"Ok…" Mari said.

"Well, it was the basis that we used to design our own Core copies, the ones the Evangelions use, minus your own, Mari." Fuyutsuki continued. "After Lilith's soul was extracted, a contact experiment similar to Yui's own attempt was made, and as you know, you were absorbed."

"I know this part…" Mari said impatiently. "I lived it…"

"I am sorry, let me get to the point." Fuyutsuki said. "As you found out, a piece of Lilith's soul was left by the extraction process. So the Core was not entirely empty. When she sent you back, you left your own imprint upon the Core, linking you to it."

"You mean my souls is…?" Mari asked.

"No, you have your entire soul." Fuyutsuki said. "What I mean is that your presence marked the Core, syncing it to your soul. With the piece of Lilith's soul present in addition to that, the creator of all mankind, you sync through that special relationship."

"That is so convoluted…" Asuka muttered.

"Well, if you had a degree in Metaphysics, you'd understand." Mari quipped. "Thank you, sensei, that clears a lot of things up."

"So, can you get back to explaining how other people can even be considered to pilot?" Asuka asked. "Please?"

"Well, without any souls, the Evangelions would not move." Fuyutsuki said. "So Naoko Akagi had a bit of a problem… with more Evangelions to be built, there had to be other souls harvested for the task."

"So… how did that work exactly?" Mari asked. "Did she go Frankenstein and dig shit up in a graveyard for souls?"

"Unfortunately no…" Fuyutsuki said. "Children were chosen from across the globe to be allowed to pilot, many of them were sent here to Tokyo–3 to protect them with the power of the Marduk institute. Though many countries like the United States and some other European countries wanted to assign their own pilots to their Evangelions, so if they built it, they were supposed to assign the pilot from their own country, from their own personal stock of souls."

"So… how did they get chosen?" Mari asked.

"Please say it was natural causes…" Asuka muttered.

"It was not." Fuyutsuki said. "In order to get the requisite souls, they were directly targeted. Women were chosen who had children around the same age as you and they were usually killed in some horrific way… and then Naoko Akagi would harvest the soul and store it." Fuyutsuki shuttered. "It was… not necessary to do this… and I wish it had been different… but it was not… some two hundred fifty women were killed and used to fill out the potential pilot rosters around the world, with some thirty five being kept in storage by us."

"All… murdered…?" Shinji muttered.

"Mien Gott…" Asuka murmured.

"That… is… horrific…" Rei said shakily.

"What happened to all those souls?" Mari asked. "How… what was done with them?"

"After Third Impact, the United States and the other countries liquidated their soul stocks, and destroyed the matching Cores. This was all confirmed by the various NERV Branches around the globe shortly before I turned myself in." Fuyutsuki explained. "NERV HQ was left with the only usable stock of souls, and even that was narrowed down significantly to around fifteen…"

"Which somehow included our friends mothers souls?" Asuka asked.

"If they were still considered for being pilots, yes." Fuyutsuki replied.

"Are you sure the Cores were all destroyed?"

"Yes, the Cores were all destroyed." Fuyutsuki said.

"With the souls still in them?" Mari asked. "Because we know souls can be removed…"

"And Misato mentioned a huge pile of people to go through." Asuka added.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case." Fuyutsuki replied. "I don't know where they would hide them, but the excess souls should be released so they can be at peace."

"Well… I guess we'll have to tell Misato." Asuka said.

"Yes, but do be careful." Fuyutsuki said. "You don't want to draw anyone's unwanted attention."

"I think as Evangelion pilots we already do that." Rei said.

"Five minutes." One of the guards said, reminding them time was short.

"Wait, can souls be exchanged from Cores?" Mari asked.

"No, once a soul has been imprinted on a Core, it can only be removed and stored." Fuyutsuki said. "The soul that was imprinted can be put back in, but a different soul cannot be added."

"But, sensei… Lilith…" Mari protested.

"Mari, you are a special case." Fuyutsuki said. "You were in an original Core, we don't know what rules govern that relationship. All we know is the Core copies are all only capable of being given one soul to look after."

"Oh…" Mari said. "This is so confusing."

"I know, right?" Asuka asked.

"No, literally, it's irritating." Mari replied. "I'm a metaphysical biologist, and I'm barely understanding this shit…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Mari." Fuyutsuki said.

"Yeah, this has still been really informative." Shinji said.

"And somewhat disturbing." Rei added.

"I hope you kids don't think less of me with what happened." Fuyutsuki said.

"No we don't blame you, sensei." Mari said. "At least I don't."

"I do assign him some of the blame." Rei said. "You may not have been directly at fault, but you could have done more to stop it…"

"No, in this case it would have been nearly impossible." Asuka said. "A worldwide murder conspiracy? No one person can stop that."

"Still, Rei's right." Fuyutsuki said. "I could have done more."

"No, Rei's not entirely right." Mari said. "You may be partially to blame about a lot of what happened, but you aren't to blame for the harvesting of souls through murder. You objected to the idea, so it's not his fault."

"Mari, he could have done more." Rei replied.

"Guys, this isn't the time or the place to argue." Shinji said.

"Yeah, let's try and be happy for his sake." Asuka said.

"Oh, it's alright." Fuyutsuki said. "Even the bickering is nice to hear."

"Two minutes." The guard warned.

"We should wrap this up." Mari said.

"Thanks for letting us see you." Shinji said.

"Yeah, and thanks for indulging our questions too." Asuka added.

"It's the least I can do." Fuyutsuki said. "And if you ever need more help, you know where to find me."

"Yeah, it should be too hard to track you down." Asuka joked.

"Bye, sir." Shinji said.

"Stay safe, alright?" Mari said hopefully.

"Goodbye, Sub–Commander." Rei said.

"Goodbye kids." Fuyutsuki said. "Thanks for taking the time to see me."

"Time's up, inmate." The guard said to Fuyutsuki. "Let's go."

"Right." Fuyutsuki replied as he was led away by the guards. "Good luck out there… and stay vigilant."

–––

The ride back to Tokyo–3 was mostly a quiet one. Mari was sitting in back with Rei, while Asuka was driving and Shinji was staring out the window.

"So… that happened…" Shinji muttered.

"Yeah…" Mari said. "That was darker than I was expecting…"

"I'm not as surprised as you'd think." Rei said.

"Well, you were there a lot longer than the rest of us, Rei." Asuka said. "You've seen more fucked up shit than the rest of us…"

"So, are we still telling them?" Shinji asked. "I mean… this is… dark…"

"We have to, Shinji." Asuka said. "If they're going to make the right choice for themselves, they need all the facts."

"Even the super fucked up shit." Mari added.

"Especially that." Rei corrected.

"I figured as much…" Shinji said. "Now we just have to figure out how exactly to tell them."

"Less how and more when." Mari said.

"Well, we can't tell them today." Shinji said. "We need to process things a bit, don't we?"

"Yeah, I'm still too shocked to really explain this." Asuka said.

"Perhaps we just wait a few days." Rei said. "The information has been secret this long, a few more days won't make a bit of difference."

"So it's settled." Mari said. "We tell them the whole truth in a few days once we wrap our own minds around it, agreed?"

"I'm not seeing an issue." Rei replied. "I agree."

"Works for me." Asuka replied.

"Sure." Shinji replied.

"Good… now how about stopping somewhere to eat…" Mari suggested. "I don't know about you guys, but after all that, I'm fucking hungry."

* * *

June 4, 2020 – Comfort 17 Apartments

It was late afternoon and the kids had arrived home from school with their friends in tow. After several days of mutual avoidance, Mari approached their mildly estranged friends and invited them over to the apartment to hang out and talk about what had been going on as of late. While Shinji and Rei did not agree lying to them about the reason to invite them over was the best plan available, Asuka begrudgingly agreed that if they told them the real reason to call them there, Toji may not want to show up. As they all settled in, they looked awkwardly at each other, not sure of what to say.

"So, how has everyone been?" Mari asked, breaking the silence. "Are you guys… uh… doing alright?"

"As well as can be expected." Toji said. "But we've been doing a lot of thinking…"

"We're going to become pilots." Hikari said assuredly.

"But we're not doing it to help NERV." Kensuke added.

"We're doing it to help you guys." Toji finished.

"Really?" Asuka asked. "But you don't even know everything about the Evangelions."

"What else is there to know?" Toji asked.

"Yeah, I have all the data I could find on them." Kensuke said. "We know what they're made of and whole bunches of other stuff…"

"Look, not everything is in what you hacked, Kensuke." Rei said.

"Some things were kept very secret." Shinji said.

"That's why we asked you here today." Mari finished.

"What are you talking about?" Kensuke asked.

"We found some stuff out about the Evangelions we need to share with you." Mari said.

"Which is why we missed school the other day." Shinji added.

"It's not fair for you to pilot and find out after the fact like we did." Asuka said.

"So we're going to tell you everything we know and let you decide if you still want to pilot." Rei added.

"Would the information really keep us from wanting to pilot?" Toji asked.

"I mean, how much worse could it be?" Hikari asked.

"Well… where should we begin…?" Mari said.

After prompting the conversation, the four of them explained everything they knew about the Evangelions, their creation, their purpose, their true purpose, and everything that Fuyutsuki had told them a few days earlier. Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke's jaws dropped hearing all the information about the Evangelions, though they became disturbed when they got to the part on how they are actually able to sync with their Evangelions, which was decided to be mentioned last as it was such a shocking revelation.

"Are… are you telling me that… that my mother… is inside Unit–03's Core?" Toji asked bewilderedly. "I mean… you're fucking lying, right? Please be lying…"

"And my mother too…?" Hikari asked.

"That's the long and the short of it." Asuka said. "My mother's in mine, and Shinji's is in his. That's how we sync."

"But… our mothers were murdered?" Kensuke asked.

"Yeah… I know that's really fucked up…" Mari began.

"But my mother died in an accident!" Hikari protested.

"And mine died of some crazy form of cancer!" Toji said.

"And what hospital did your moms use?" Rei asked.

"Uh… well, I think it was NERV's…" Toji said.

"Yeah, mine did too…" Hikari said.

"So, they could say whatever they wanted about how your mothers died." Mari said.

"And we trust the source this information came from." Asuka said. "Your mothers… no, our mothers were targeted and trapped."

"My mother wasn't targeted… she got hit by a black SUV…" Kensuke said. "I never… I never got to say goodbye…"

"A black SUV?" Mari asked. "Like the ones NERV uses?"

"I don't know… probably…" Kensuke replied. "But that would mean that… why would someone choose her?"

"Because of us." Asuka said gently. "Mothers with kids about our age were targeted as the most viable subjects… we just don't understand why people our age were wanted."

"Because you still needed to love your mom." Mari said. "That's the reason. Adults don't always get along with their parents, or they grow apart when they're older." Mari sighed. "By taking your mothers away from you while you were young, you longed to love your mother and be with her again… and… and that would help the sync ratio…"

"Is that your expert opinion or something?" Kensuke asked.

"No… just something I can relate to." Mari said. "Just trust me on that…"

"Ok…" Hikari said. "So… people were murdered and we became pilot candidates without our knowledge."

"Which is how we're being forced to pilot." Toji said. "Our mothers' souls were some of the ones that were spared."

"Yeah, basically." Mari said.

"Well… I'm not changing my decision." Kensuke said. "I'm still going to pilot. You four can't do it on your own, and it's unfair of you to have to shoulder this burden yourselves."

"Yeah… as weird and disgusting as this is…" Hikari said. "I think I can still do this."

"Right, this changes nothing…" Toji said. "I have a sister to protect."

"So all three of you…" Asuka said. "Even after hearing all that?"

"Well, it's still really fucked up." Hikari said. "But we can't change what some crazy assholes did."

"No offence, Shinji." Kensuke said.

"None taken." Shinji replied.

"But we can still effect the future." Kensuke said. "And hopefully, it will be for the better."

"This is still really fucked up though." Toji rebutted.

"We're not denying that." Rei said.

"We're actually glad you know that up front." Shinji said. "Saves a lot of shock and aggravation later on."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it." Kaji said from the doorway.

"Jesus, Kaji, what the hell?!" Asuka snapped.

"I was eavesdropping." Kaji said. "Obviously."

"How are you that quiet?" Hikari asked.

"We didn't even hear you come in…" Kensuke said gleefully.

"Years of practice." Kaji replied. "Anyway, you kids certainly know a lot of juicy details on some pretty fucked up shit."

"We've been through it once already, Kaji." Mari quipped. "We're aware of how fucked NERV can be."

"Aren't we all." Kaji retorted. "Anyway… so you three want to pilot?"

"Yeah, we've… uh…" Toji stammered.

"We've made our decision." Hikari said. "We're in."

"Yeah… against my better judgement." Toji added.

"I'm actually kind of excited." Kensuke said.

"Well, at least you three found a good reason to fight, and aren't just doing it because you were told to." Kaji said happily. "That makes things easier when your back's to the wall, you know exactly what it is you're fighting for."

"Family." Toji said defiantly.

"Love." Hikari said shyly.

"Friendship." Kensuke said proudly.

"So, do you want to tell Misato the good news?" Kaji asked.

"Is she coming home soon?" Asuka asked.

"No, she's under a mountain of paperwork." Kaji said. "But I'd be happy to escort the newbies down there."

"Yeah, that could be great." Hikari said.

"Thanks, Mr. Kaji." Kensuke said.

"Don't thank me." Kaji said. "I should be the one thanking you guys for doing this." Kaji turned to the others. "I'll also mention that soul business to Misato… so it can be rectified accordingly."

"Thanks, Kaji." Shinji replied.

"No problems kids." Kaji said. "Things like that shouldn't be left undone… it's unsettling when that happens."

–––

After a very quick ride to NERV, Kaji used his security access to get Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke through security without a hitch. He led them quietly to Misato's office, while Kensuke looked around gleefully, taking in all the sights around him. As they got to Misato's office, Kaji knocked lightly on the door.

"Enter…" Misato said unenthusiastically.

Kaji opened the door and led the three of them inside. He wasn't kidding about the amount of paperwork Misato had to contend with. She had stacks of paper on her desk almost two feet high, with different colored sheets of paper sticking out of the stacks at odd angles.

"Hey, Misato." Kaji said.

"Kaji, unless it's important…" Misato said as she took her gaze from the paperwork in front of her to look at Toji, and saw the three kids with him. "What… what are they doing here?"

"That's a silly question to ask." Kaji said.

"You don't mean…" Misato said as she turned to the kids. "Are you going to pilot?"

"Yes, we're agreeing to pilot." Kensuke said

"But we have some conditions first." Hikari added.

"Conditions?" Misato asked. "This isn't a negotiation…"

"Yes it is." Hikari said. "We just want some promises."

"They're nothing major." Kensuke added.

"Well… what are they?" Misato asked.

"First, we need to know that doing this isn't going to interfere with school." Hikari explained. "Barring Angelic intervention."

"It won't." Misato said. "We've structured the schedule to avoid that issue."

"Good." Hikari replied. "But we'll need notes excusing our absences from school when it does interfere, and they have to be signed by someone in authority."

"That would be me." Kaji said. "I'd be your boss."

"Why wouldn't Misato sign the notes?" Kensuke asked.

"She has enough paperwork to do." Kaji said.

"That's very true." Misato replied. "And Kaji is in a position of authority, so that's taken care of… what else?"

"I want Sakura to be able to come onto the base." Toji blurted out.

"Your sister?" Misato asked. "On a military base?"

"Just so she doesn't have to sit home alone all the time when I'm here." Toji said.

"I guess that can be arranged." Misato said. "Is there anything else?"

"Uh… no, that's it." Hikari said.

"Wow, that was pretty simple." Misato replied. "So…"

"So, all our conditions will be met?" Hikari asked.

"They will be." Misato replied happily. "And you'll agree to pilot?"

"Starting immediately." Hikari replied.

"Whenever you want us to." Kensuke replied.

"Yeah, I'm ready…" Toji said.

"Good." Misato replied happily. "So, you won't be doing any pilot stuff right now. There are some psychological and physical tests you have to pass first, which take about a week. Plus we need to make you plugsuits and do some other stuff as well, but you'll begin your training soon enough."

"A week?" Kensuke asked.

"Yes, it's a screening process we ignored the last time around, but I want to be sure you three can handle the stresses of doing this job." Misato said. "Is that alright?"

"As long as we can pilot, I'm fine." Kensuke said.

"Works for me." Toji said.

"Yeah, I can handle that." Hikari said.

"Good." Misato said. "And I'm guessing the others already know?"

"Yeah, they told the others first." Kaji said. "That's where I found them."

"Well then, I guess all I have left to do is welcome you to the team." Misato said happily.

* * *

June 7, 2020 – NERV HQ

The four kids had just finished their most recent round of sync testing. They were waiting for their results, as per usual, after having showered and changed from their LCL soaked plugsuits. As they waited, they relaxed, or in Mari's case, got so comfortable and fell asleep at the table. As Maya walked in, she rolled her eyes at Mari's napping, and gently shook her awake.

"I have your results." Maya said.

"Well, how did we do?" Asuka asked. "Are we beating the new pilots?"

"They haven't begun sync testing yet." Maya said.

"Why not?" Rei asked. "They have agreed to pilot, haven't they?"

"They have." Maya replied. "But they have some preliminary testing to go through first, then they can join you four."

"So why do they have to do testing?" Asuka asked.

"To make sure they're up to the task of piloting." Maya said.

"We never did that shit." Mari said.

"Yeah, why start it now?" Shinji asked.

"Misato wants to do things differently this time." Maya said.

"Then why aren't we taking the tests?" Rei asked.

"Well, you're already qualified pilots." Maya replied. "We know you can handle it."

"We can?" Asuka asked. "Huh… that's news to me."

"You know what I mean, Asuka." Maya said. "But you've been able to handle the stress much better than anyone else could have up to this point."

"Thanks…" Asuka muttered. "I guess…"

"So, what about our scores?" Mari asked impatiently.

"Well, Rei, you're doing much better." Maya said. "You're closing in on 80%, so keep up the good work"

"Thank you, Maya." Rei said humbly.

"Mari, you're much closer to 90% with your newest score." Maya said. "You're doing really well!"

"Did you expect anything less?" Mari asked.

"And you, Asuka." Maya said. "135%, you're closing in on Shinji's score! Great job!"

"Really, I'm that close to Shinji?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah. Shinji's score has been 150% for a while, and it's still steady." Maya replied. "And steady is good, Shinji, keep it up."

"Oh… I think I can handle it." Shinji said.

"Well, you better watch out baka." Asuka joked "Cause I'm catching up with your lazy, bum ass."

"Asuka, it's fine." Shinji said. "I'm glad for you."

"Why?" Asuka asked.

"I know you can catch up, Asuka." Shinji said. "You're a better pilot than me."

"That was never in question." Asuka said. "But finally the numbers will prove it."

–––

Maya was sitting calmly in her office going over more of the data recovered from the Second Branch. As she continued her analysis, Misato and Kaji walked in to see her.

"Good afternoon." Maya said brightly. "Anything I can help you with? Did you see the most recent sync score report?"

"Yeah, the kids are doing great!" Kaji said proudly. "And now that we're working on clearing the other three to actually pilot, you're going to get a lot busier."

"I'm fine with that." Maya replied. "We're getting ready for it."

"Well, I was wondering if you'd made any progress with your data analysis." Misato said.

"Well, the Second Branch's data is extensive, but I'm getting through it alright." Maya replied. "But I've gotten through almost all of it, and I have a few theories I'd like to run by you if that's alright."

"Well, I'm open to any theories you may have." Misato replied.

"Ok, so… the Sea of Dirac that was formed was definitely no accident." Maya said. "The Core was definitely damaged and deployed the Sea of Dirac as a safety mechanism to allow it to repair itself in a safe environment."

"Why though?" Misato asked. "Other Cores have repaired themselves."

"This was deeper, molecular damage from Unit–01's Progressive Knife." Maya said. "Damage that was unseen and caused the S2 Engine to get dangerously unstable."

"So what's your theory?" Kaji asked.

"Well… if it the S2 Engine can deploy this field, maybe it's the reason we can't ever find the Angels until it's too late." Maya explained. "The Angels use it to hide themselves until they emerge wherever they want and then they creep up on Tokyo–3."

"But doesn't the Sea of Dirac have a similar particle field to the wormholes?" Misato asked. "Like you explained before, they bridge the void between universes? Wouldn't that be detected on our sensors sooner?"

"Not necessarily." Maya replied. "There is a threshold that has to be exceeded for certain things to be picked up. Like a Pattern Orange for instance… it's like the background radiation of our universe, but it's in low concentrations, we're talking parts per billion. Until it hits a threshold of something like one part per thousand do any alarms start going off. It would probably be the same with the Sea of Dirac, it has a low threshold, and if it's small enough it may be undetectable with our current sensors."

"Can you lower the threshold?" Misato asked. "So we can better detect it?"

"I presume so." Maya replied. "But it'll take some work."

"I have a question." Kaji said. "If the Angels use it to transport themselves safety, why didn't they just use the Sea of Dirac to open a portal right in front of where Lilith was being held, or why didn't they all use it as an offensive or defensive weapon when the Evangelions engaged them? It seems too convenient for everyday use… almost like it's for grave emergencies only. But even that doesn't make sense…"

"Yeah, why wouldn't they all use it?" Misato asked.

"I honestly don't know, Kaji." Maya said. "Maybe the Sea of Dirac opening was a fluke caused by the damage to the S2 Engine caused it to open by accident, like Shinji accidentally ripped a hole between universes."

"So, you know the cause of the Second Branch's disappearance inside that hell, but you don't know if the cause can be repeated?" Misato asked.

"Yes…" Maya said woefully. "What we're dealing with is beyond the confines of modern science's understanding. It's just difficult to ascertain what if anything could cause a Sea of Dirac to form without tracking each individual instance…"

"Which I'm guessing isn't very possible." Misato said.

"Very much so…" Maya said. "My work is subpar… I just wish I could find more answers for you…"

"Hey, this is great work, and it's certainly not subpar." Kaji said kindly. "I wouldn't understand head nor tails of this stuff… "

"Yes but still… there has to be answers as to why." Maya said. "There is always an answer somewhere…"

"Not every question in the world can be answered." Kaji said. "We still don't know where the Angels are hidden, or stored, or wherever they come from and suddenly attack us."

"And we don't know why they keep coming here." Misato added. "It's nothing to be upset about. We can't know everything."

"No, we can't." Maya said. "And I don't have any ideas about where the angels are coming from per say, but I do have theory on why they keep attacking us."

"You do?" Misato asked.

"Yes." Maya replied. "It has to do with something Kaji mentioned a few weeks ago…"

"What did I mention?" Kaji asked. "I say a lot of things."

"You said that Adam's body was brought here on the same trip that saw Unit–02 transported from Germany to Japan, right?"

"Yeah, it was encased in transparent Bakelite in its embryonic form." Kaji said. "No idea what Ikari needed it for, just got it for him and handed it off. Though I guess it had something to do with instrumentality."

"Not what exactly was Adam?" Maya asked.

"As far as I can remember from what Ikari and Fuyutsuki had said, the Dead Sea Scrolls referred to them as the First Ancestral Race." Kaji explained.

"Yeah, and Lilith defeated Adam to create life on this planet." Misato said. "What we call First Impact. What are you getting at, Maya?"

"Right… so these Seeds of Life, they have immensely powerful A.T. Fields, right?" Maya explained. "The most powerful we've ever seen. When Lilith was reborn, the sensors went off the charts. So these A.T. Fields, we know the Angels are drawn to them, because that's what they were searching for, the Seeds, so they could connect to them… for what purpose, we don't really know, but they were searching for them, which led them to Tokyo–3."

"But with Adam and Lilith both destroyed, what are they searching for now?" Kaji asked.

"The highest concentration of S2 Engine signatures in the world." Maya said. "We have seven Angelic S2 Engines just sitting downstairs in the Cage."

"But why would they be drawn to that?" Kaji asked.

"Well, Unit–01 has Zeruel's original S2 Engine, with copies of it installed in Unit–02, Unit–05, Unit–06, and Unit–07, Unit–3 has Bardiel's S2 Engine, and Unit–04 has Shamshel's S2 Engine." Maya explained. "Now that their parents are gone… whatever Angels are left, how many we don't really know, they're now looking for their brethren."

"So the objects that we've wanted for so long to make the Evangelions even more powerful…" Misato began.

"Are drawing the Angels to us." Maya finished.

"Fuck…" Kaji muttered.

"Yeah…" Maya said. "It's the best reason I can come up with."

"Well, it makes sense." Kaji said. "They were seeking out their family before, and now they're still seeking them out."

"And what's worse, we're the best quipped city to handle this." Misato said. "We're the only one with an entire system meant to intercept and destroy the Angels."

"Speaking of, have the upgrades been completed on the AIS?" Kaji asked.

"All weapons have been connected to the power grid and to the main targeting array." Maya said. "And for added redundancy, we've added independent targeting sensors and backup generators to all the weapons buildings in case the main power or targeting array is down or otherwise damaged."

"So even if someone sabotages our power…" Kaji began.

"We can still fight back." Misato finished.

"Right." Maya said. "Added redundancies will save us so we're never caught off guard again. Inspector Iwasawa got that funding for us from the Security Council."

"Well…" Misato said. "Thank you, Maya. I have an appointment to keep… so I'll see you later."

"Buy Misato." Maya said. "Bye Kaji."

"Later kid." Kaji said kindly. "And keep up the good work."

–––

As Misato and Kaji got back to her office, Misato was fuming about Yuki's continued interference within NERV.

"I can't believe it!" Misato bemoaned. "She's still doing shit!"

"Misato, will you stop." Kaji said. "She seems nice enough, and the fact she's pulling in funding from the Security Council to get us more shit is all the better."

"But… she's a pain in the ass!" Misato said.

"Look, she's the official U.N. liaison." Kaji said. "She's here for the long haul, you'll have to find some way to work with her."

"I know… I just… don't like it… or her." Misato said angrily. "She just rubs me the wrong way… like she's hiding something."

"Would you like me to look into it?" Kaji asked. "In an unofficial capacity?"

"Yeah… I guess…" Misato said. "Thanks, Kaji."

"No problem, Misato." Kaji replied. "Though I don't really see her as an immediate problem, we do have one to deal with…"

"What problem is that?" Misato asked.

"The Angels." Kaji said. "Mayas theory is pretty solid. If they're drawn to the S2 Engines, we could be in some deep shit."

"Aren't we always neck deep in shit around here?" Misato asked.

"Yeah… I just wonder how many Angels are left out there…" Kaji mused. "And when the next attack will happen."

"Oh, one will happen soon enough." Misato explained. "Because if we've learned anything since the Angels arrived, it's to never get complacent."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 150.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 135.0% (+10.0%)  
Mari – 86.4% (+8.6%)  
Rei – 78.4% (+7.7%)  
Toji – Pending  
Hikari – Pending  
Kensuke – Pending

This chapter is named in honor of the film _Seven Samurai_ , starring Toshiro Mifune. While I didn't go on the nose with the title like others I have chosen on the past, naming it Seven Samurai wouldn't have made any sense in context, so I used the Western adaptation of the film's name instead. I chose this title as the now seven pilots are facing a great evil, and will rise to the challenge with heavy odds set against them.

So, Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke are the new pilots. Though Toji's inclusion isn't exactly a surprise, I never had any intention to have any OC characters take these roles on. I've been planning this reveal for a very long time, and while it may have been an obvious choice, I saw it as the only choice I could make.

While his chapter covers a lot, my main intention was to focus on the new pilots and their issues with deciding whether or not to pilot. Toji was easy to find a reason he'd be unwilling to go, with Hikari's tying into that because their dating. However, Kensuke was the difficult one because he's always wanted to pilot, yet now he has the opportunity, so I saw it as a great way to explore _why_ he's always wanted to pilot, beyond his boner for military hardware and war games that is.

Asuka's relationship with Hikari's sisters Kodama and Nozomi is not one of friendship. They see Asuka and the rest of the pilots as a distraction of Hikari taking care of them and their father. Basically, they can't do it for themselves, and Hikari is stuck playing the mom because her family are, in essence, mooches. They also dislike Toji for the same reason, but still direct their ire at Asuka for partly convincing Hikari to get together with Toji.

As for the discussions of the souls being harvested, it's clearly a theory that has been discussed before, but never mentioned in the show or elsewhere. But given NERV's track record for human rights violations, a few murder cover ups to harvest a few hundred souls for potential pilots seems like something in their wheelhouse.

Finally, with the theory behind why the Angels are still drawn to Tokyo–3, in all honesty, it seemed like the most logical thing that would draw them in, the presence of their brethren, or so they think anyway, draw them to the city.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	9. Chapter 9 – Training Day

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 9 – Training Day  
June 14, 2020 – NERV HQ

The day had finally come for the new pilots, Hikari, and Kensuke, and reactivated pilot Toji to take their positions with the other pilots. As they arrived separately from their friends, who were already waiting in the ward room for the briefing, they all exchanged causal hellos, while the newcomers were unsure of what to expect.

"Hey guys." Mari said. "Nice of you to finally join us."

"Hey, they made us take tests." Toji said. "Do you know how hard those tests were?"

"I don't know." Mari shrugged. "You're the ones that took it, you tell us."

"Harder than our trigonometry test from the other day." Kensuke said.

"That wasn't hard at all." Asuka said. "It was a breeze, wasn't it, baka?"

"Yeah, I thought it was easy." Shinji said. "I mean, the English test was hard…"

"How did you not find the trig test hard?" Toji asked.

"I'm good with math." Shinji said. "That's all… I don't get why."

"Cause you're Rain Man?" Toji suggested.

"He is _not_ retarded!" Mari snapped.

"It's just a joke, Mari…" Toji quipped.

"And an inappropriate one at that…" Hikari muttered.

"What?" Toji asked.

"Yeah, you emotionally stunted retard." Asuka quipped.

"Hey!" Toji snapped.

"I believe this is getting out of hand…" Rei said.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't." Asuka said. "But maybe we should avoid the retard jokes."

"Ya think?" Mari asked sarcastically. "Whatever would give you that idea?"

"Yeah, there's no place for jokes like that you guys!" Hikari said. "No, apologize!"

"Look, I'm sorry, Shinji." Toji said. "I was out of line."

"Yeah, and I was too…" Asuka muttered.

"Now that that's out of the way…" Mari began.

"Why are we here?" Hikari asked. "They just said to show up."

"Well… we don't usually come here at all for anything." Rei said. "We usually just go and have our sync test."

"Then they must have something important to tell us." Shinji said. "Why else would they call us here?"

"Bad news?" Asuka suggested.

"An Angel?" Kensuke asked excitedly.

"No, things are _way_ more urgent when one of those thinks rolls into town." Mari joked. "It's probably some run of the mill shit."

"Like what?" Hikari asked. "You already know we're the new pilots…"

"No idea, we just have to wait for them to show up…" Asuka muttered. "Sometimes it takes a while."

"I swear if it's just miso and scruffy in the elevator, they're just making out and forget the time…" Mari joked.

"Ah, Mari, it's so nice to see you still haven't pulled your mind out of the gutter." Kaji said as he, Misato, Maya, and Yuki walked in and sat down.

"About time…" Asuka muttered. "We do enjoy our free time, you know."

"Yes, yes." Misato said. "We were simply finalizing some things."

"Like what?" Mari asked.

"Wait and see…" Maya said.

"Well, we've been waiting long enough." Asuka said.

"Asuka, are you always like this in a meeting?" Hikari asked. "It's so…"

"Disrespectful?" Misato asked.

"Annoying?" Kaji suggested.

"It's effective is what it is." Asuka said. "I'm too old to deal with bullshit. Just tell us what you need to and let us go."

"Alright, hold your horses…" Misato said.

"Hang on…" Kensuke said. "I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" Kensuke pointed at Yuki. "You weren't part of our orientation…"

"Oh, yeah…" Misato said. "She's…"

"Yuki Iwasawa, United Nations Observer and Liaison Officer." Yuki replied. "Nice to meet you all."

"Now that we have the introductions out of the way…" Misato said. "We can get to why you're here." Misato sighed. "So, you all know there are three new, and now fully qualified pilots." Misato smiled broadly. "The three of you have a clean bill of health and can begin training immediately."

"But before we get to that, there is something else we'd like to tell you." Kaji said.

"Which is?" Shinji asked.

"Well, you guys are no longer kids." Kaji said. "You're all over eighteen, so it's time for a change in your position here."

"What could possibly change?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, we're pilots!" Mari replied.

"Well, it's time you had more official positions here at NERV." Kaji said. "As part of the actual command structure."

"You've got to be kidding…" Asuka said.

"Unfortunately no." Misato said. "Even if I think it's a bad idea… it does have additional benefits."

"Like?" Mari asked.

"More pay for one thing." Misato replied. "And just more access to the facilities here than you already have, including medical care for everyone in your family."

"So, what are you making us all Lieutenants or something?" Kensuke asked.

"Well, not entirely." Kaji said. "We've decided to scale things around a bit based on everyone's experience."

"So… Kensuke, Hikari, you'll be given the rank and responsibilities of Second Lieutenants." Misato explained. "Toji, because you've had experience with an Angel, you're being given the rank and responsibilities of First Lieutenant." Misato paused. "Mari, Rei, because you two did a bit the last time around, you're being given the rank and responsibilities of Captain." Misato smiled broadly. "Asuka, Shinji… you two did so much fighting, putting yourselves at risk constantly… so we've decided that not only are you being given the rank and responsibility of Major, but also giving you joint field command when you're out on an operation."

"You're what?" Asuka asked.

"Yeah, what?" Shinji reiterated.

"You two are in command in the field." Kaji explained. "Joint command. You still report to me, but you now have the official authority to make any decisions you want in the field. You want an airstrike, or new weapons, or some kind of distraction, or whatever else you need, you tell me, and we'll get it done."

"They have full authority for all _legal_ orders, Colonel." Yuki said.

"Yes, thank you, I'm sure they couldn't have figured that out themselves…" Misato muttered. "But you'll also have sole authority if you ever lose contact with us, that way we can't question anything you've ordered."

"Unless it's in violation of international law." Yuki reminded them.

"We know!" Misato snapped.

"It's fine, Misato." Shinji said. "We understand… I think… we can make decisions as needed, but… uh… we still clear them with you?" Shinji paused. "Asuka?"

"Yeah, we can make decisions that keep us alive." Asuka said. "Without having to ask for permission?"

"Yep." Kaji said.

"Bitchin." Asuka said.

"So, when is this effective?" Shinji asked.

"As of right now, actually." Misato said as Kaji got up and handed out official looking folders to all seven of them. "Just sign these, and you'll be official members of NERV."

"What about school?" Hikari asked.

"You'll have any notes you need for school for any absences you suffer due to… Angelic interference or anything of the like." Misato said.

"But nothing else will interfere with school." Maya said. "We'll work around your schedules."

"So what about us?" Toji asked before he signed.

"Yeah, what Evangelions are we assigned to?" Kensuke asked.

"Well, that's easy." Maya said. "Toji, you're still technically assigned to Unit–03 as the Fourth Child." Maya turned. "However, for you two, we… uh…"

"We flipped a coin." Kaji said.

"Why?" Kensuke asked.

"To assign you an Evangelion." Misato replied. "Seemed the fairest way to do it, really."

"So, Kensuke, you're the Sixth Child, and you've been assigned to the American made Unit–04." Maya said.

"Is that the one that like exploded or something?" Toji asked.

"It didn't explode… it was just lost to an interdimensional rift." Maya said. "But it's been thoroughly inspected, and is fully capable of being piloted in combat."

"I'm sure they said the same thing before the S2 Engine test…" Kensuke said. "But you're sure? You inspected it?"

"I wouldn't have cleared it if I didn't think it was perfectly safe." Maya said.

"That term's a bit relative considering what we're talking about here…" Mari quipped.

"Fair enough…" Maya replied. "It's as safe as any Evangelion can be."

"What about me?" Hikari asked.

"Hikari, as the Seventh Child, you've been assigned to the French built Unit–06." Maya said. "It was just completed a month or so ago, so it's still fairly new."

"It's new?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah, three more Evangelions were ordered after the Mark II's attacked." Misato said. "Then U.N. wanted to be better prepared or something…"

"They wanted the additional protection more Evangelions offered." Yuki corrected. "Though, it does seem a tad excessive…"

"Really, just a tad?" Kaji asked. "There were 13 originally planned to be built… this is just over half the order being built. I'm surprised they just didn't order the rest of them."

"Well… the U.N. deemed that to be excessive and a waste of a monumental amount of funds." Yuki said. "Do you have any idea how much those things cost to create, let alone maintain? It's ridiculous!"

"Well, yeah, we do know how much they cost to create…" Maya said. "And we have to maintain them too…"

"Yeah, it ain't cheap to keep these things up." Misato said.

"So, can we leave or something if you guys are gonna argue?" Asuka asked.

"Have you all signed the paperwork?" Kaji asked.

"Yeah, I think we all have." Shinji said.

"Ok then… Commander?" Kaji asked.

"To answer your question, Major Soryu… is no." Misato said. "Maya will take you downstairs and give you all a refresher on the sync test policies." Misato said as she heard a grown from Asuka and Mari. "For the benefit of everyone. Then you can go home."

"And the sync test itself will be short to set a baseline for the new pilots and compare their readings with the veteran pilots." Maya said. "And then we'll schedule activation tests for Unit–04, and Unit–06, and a re–activation test for Unit–03."

"And all other sync tests will be on hold until those are completed." Kaji said.

"Sounds good to me." Shinji said.

"Why are they on hold exactly?" Rei asked.

"We'd like all your subsequent sync tests to be all together." Kaji said. "No need to pull the rest of you in if these guys aren't ready yet."

"So, Colonel, if you don't mind, I'd like to get them down there to start." Maya said.

"That's fine." Misato replied. "Dismissed."

* * *

June 15, 2020 – NERV HQ

Kensuke sat excitedly in the locker room. He had finally been issued a plugsuit, identical in design to Shinji's. It was mainly olive green on the waist, lower torso, arms and hands. There was a goldenrod highlight on the collar, and the built up chest area and shoulder guards were a deeper shade of green than the rest of the plugsuit, and had the number "04" stenciled onto it. The plugsuit also had black lowlights on the underside of his arms and running down the sides of his legs coming down from where the chest armor met the rest of the plugsuit. Kensuke then looked down and grabbed the pair of A10 connectors he had been given, which were also olive green and put them gently in his hair, making sure they were secure.

Kensuke stood up and looked into one of the mirrors and smiled at himself proudly. He loved wearing the plugsuit, he felt important wearing it. As he looked himself over, Kensuke noticed the color reminded him of an army uniform, the irony of which was not lost on him.

"Looks like I finally got to join the military…" Kensuke said happily. "Glasses apparently can't keep me from piloting an Evangelion."

" _All personnel be advised that the Activation Test for Unit–04 will begin in fifteen minutes in Test Cage. All non–essential personnel are asked to clear the area immediately._ " Sumire called over the intercom.

"I was so distracted by this awesome plugsuit, I forgot that I had an activation test!" Kensuke exclaimed, not realizing he still had time to get downstairs. "Oh… I can't believe I already forgot about Unit–04!"

Kensuke rushed out of the locker room, running for the elevators. He found one and got on it, taking it down to the Cage, where he saw a directory sign pointing him in the right direction. As he approached the Test Cage, he passed Maya in the hallway.

"Kensuke, slow down." Maya said. "We don't need you getting hurt before you step into Unit–04."

"I know, but they said…" Kensuke said quickly.

"Yes, well, you're not late… it was just a general reminder." Maya said. "But seeing as you have time… do you want to see Unit–04 before we begin?"

"Yeah I do!" Kensuke said excitedly.

"Follow me." Maya said as she led him to the Test Cage were Unit–04 was restrained to the wall. As Kensuke followed her in, he gasped in awe at his Evangelion. The vast majority of its body was olive green, like his plugsuit, with the collarbone area, knee guards, and the back of its head all being vermilion, with the fore arms, the middle section of the abdominal armor, and thighs being goldenrod.

"Who chose the color?" Kensuke asked.

"My girlfriend, Kotomi." Maya said. "It was painted before it shipped over."

"It's beautiful…" Kensuke muttered.

"I've never heard an Evangelion get described like that before." Maya said.

"Well… I've wanted to pilot for so long, ever since I first found out about them, I've wanted to pilot." Kensuke replied. "It's a dream come true for me. I can't wait to turn it on."

"Well, the Entry Plug is next to it." Maya said. "Do you want to get in and relax before we start?"

"I don't think I could relax!" Kensuke said excitedly. "I'm too happy!"

"Well, you need to, otherwise we may not get proper readings." Maya said sternly.

"Then I'll try to relax…" Kensuke said as he walked towards the awaiting Entry Plug. No one was there, but the pilot's seat had been removed from the Entry Plug and was on the transfer crane, waiting to move him inside. He sat in the seat, which felt like it was made for him and grasped the control yokes tightly.

"So this is what it's like…" Kensuke said.

" _It's not even close kid._ " Kaji said over the intercom.

"Huh?" Kensuke asked. "Who said that?"

" _I did._ " Kaji said. " _I'm here with Sumire, Hideki, and Midori in the control room._ "

Kensuke looked up and saw them all in the window, peering out at him. "Oh… I see you."

" _So, you're a few minutes early… and Maya's not here yet…_ " Kaji paused. " _Never mind, she just walked in. Do you want to start the test now?_ "

"Yeah!" Kensuke said excitedly.

" _Then buckle up._ " Kaji said as the crane turned on above Kensuke's head. " _Transfer the pilot's seat to the Entry Plug._ "

" _Beginning process now._ " Midori said as the crane picked up the seat and moved it gently to the Entry Plug.

Kensuke felt the seat get released from the crane and settle onto its track inside the Entry Plug. As the crane pulled away, the cover of the Entry Plug closed and bathed Kensuke in the soft orange glow of the ambient lighting installed inside the Entry Plug.

" _Entry Plug has been sealed._ " Midori reported. " _What's next?_ "

" _Removing Signal Termination Plug._ " Hideki said. " _Signal Termination Plug has been removed from Unit–04… ready to receive Entry Plug… transferring now._ "

Kensuke felt the Entry Plug get inserted into Unit–04 and screw itself into place. He heard a loud hiss and a faint thud as the hatch over the Entry Plug sealed itself.

" _Entry Plug has been locked into place… outer hatch secure… connecting to Unit–04._ " Hideki reported. " _Primary connections have been established… connection complete._ "

" _Alright, nice job Midori. Nice job, Hideki._ " Kaji said encouragingly. " _Now for the hard part… you're up, Sumire._ "

" _Right._ " Sumire replied. " _Connecting umbilical cables… opening all circuits… all circuits are open and static… internal batteries are fully charged and on standby… S2 Engine coming online… S2 Engine is online… power output is optimal and within normal operating parameters._ "

" _Good._ " Kaji said. " _Proceed._ "

" _Flooding Entry Plug with LCL now… bringing primary systems online._ " Sumire said.

Kensuke looked and heard the rush of LCL coming towards him. It was warmer than he remembered when Shinji took him and Toji in during Shamshel's attack. He remained calm as the LCL covered his face and took a deep breath.

" _LCL flooding is complete… LCL pressure and charge within normal parameters… primary systems are online._ " Sumire reported. " _Life support is fully operational… internal data recorders are running and transmitting real time._ "

" _Maya?_ " Kaji asked.

" _Establishing secondary connections._ " Maya said. " _Electrolyzing LCL… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and nominal._ "

The Entry Plug was lit up in a dazzling array of colors, then it was lit up further by a brilliant flash of light, followed by a rainbow of swirling color, then more colors flashed on the walls around Kensuke until he could see the inside of the Test Cage displayed all around him. Kensuke looked around in amazement.

"This is so fucking awesome!" Kensuke said excitedly.

" _Configuring language logic interface for Japanese… all preliminary contacts have now been established… performance is nominal… opening bi–directional circuits… communication with the Entry Plug is open on a two–way channel._ " Sumire reported. " _The bi–directional circuits are now open and transmitting… transmission strength and modulation is within normal parameters… brain wave pattern and harmonics are normal… pilot life signs are optimal… pilot synchronization ratio is at 8.2%._ "

" _Excellent._ " Kaji said. " _Maya… nerve connections, right?_ "

" _Right… establishing nerve connections now._ " Maya said. " _Nerve connections are established through 1640… 1790… 1930… 2240… 2490… 2550… clear to 2790… 2910… 3160… absolute borderline in 70… 40… 30… 10… absolute borderline passed… nerve connections now connected through 3510 and active… Evangelion Unit–04 is now online._ "

" _How you feel, Kensuke?_ " Kaji asked.

"Tingly…" Kensuke said. "Like I feel different, but I'm the same. It's so weird…"

" _That's a normal sensation._ " Maya said. " _So we know you're getting limited feedback._ "

"So is that it?" Kensuke asked.

" _Not quite._ " Kaji said. " _Sumire, run the diagnostics please._ "

" _Checking all Evangelion mechanical systems… all mechanical systems green… now checking Evangelion bio–components… all bio–components check out… now checking S2 Engine components… all green._ " Sumire reported. " _Evangelion Unit–04 is in the green … activation test complete._ "

" _Now it's all over, Kensuke._ " Kaji said. " _Nice work._ "

" _You did great, Kensuke._ " Maya said. " _We'll begin the shutdown sequence momentarily._ "

"So you have to start it right now?" Kensuke asked.

" _Well…_ " Maya said.

" _Oh, what's the harm?_ " Kaji asked. " _He's enjoying himself, and I'm firmly against ruining a good time._ "

" _Alright, you can stay for fifteen more minutes._ " Maya said. " _I'm just not used to someone so… well happy to be in there._ "

"Why would someone be upset doing this?" Kensuke asked. "This is awesome!"

" _Not everyone appreciates the Evangelions the way you do._ " Kaji said.

" _We may as well collect more data while he's in there._ " Maya said.

" _Yeah, I'll keep a close eye on everything…_ " Sumire replied.

" _I have to go get Unit–03 prepped for Wednesday. Send me the raw data when the test is done._ " Maya said. " _I don't want him in there too long though._ "

"I could stay in here forever!" Kensuke said happily.

" _That's not really advisable._ " Kaji said. " _But we will keep it at a reasonable time limit._ "

" _That's all I ask._ " Maya said. " _Have fun Kensuke!_ "

"Oh, I will Miss Ibuki!" Kensuke replied happily.

–––

Kaji went up to Misato's office after being urgently called there from the Test Cage. As he entered, Misato was sitting behind her desk, waiting for him.

"I'm so glad you called." Kaji said. "Gave me a reason to get Kensuke out of that thing… what's up?"

"So the test went well?" Misato asked.

"Nothing exploded, and we're still in our own reality, so I'd say, yeah, went pretty damn well." Kaji replied. "So, seeing as I'm here, do you have a minute?"

"Sure, I called you up here, but what do you want to talk about?" Misato asked.

"Well… the kids brought this to my attention almost two weeks ago." Kaji began. "Something about the Cores we're storing the excess souls in?"

"What excess Cores?" Misato asked.

"The ones NERV used to put all the murdered souls of mothers it gathered to increase the potential pilot pool." Kaji said flippantly.

"Sau what now?" Misato asked.

"Cores, lots of them." Kaji said.

"Look, I'm not worried about work right now, unless it's absolutely critical." Misato said.

"It's not life or death…" Kaji began. "But it's still an issue."

"Kaji, that is honestly the least of our problems." Misato said. "I called you up here for personal reasons, and I don't want to talk about work."

"But Misato, this is important!" Kaji protested.

"No work!" Misato snapped.

"Fine, but Misato, we can't do it on the desk again, the last time I pulled something in my back, and you bruised your shoulder blades…" Kaji protested.

"No… not that." Misato said with an eye roll. "I wanted to talk to you about our double date with Maya and Kotomi."

"No." Kaji said plainly.

"Wrong answer." Misato said.

"How is it the wrong answer?" Kaji asked.

"Because we were both invited." Misato replied. "And you're not ducking out of this either. I'd like you to be there."

"Why though?" Kaji asked.

"Kaji, we've gone out on three dates since you got back." Misato said. "And I'd like to go out with our friends. I'm a little bored of not being with our friends."

"Misato, I want to… but I just don't think I'm ready for that yet." Kaji said. "I'm sorry… I just don't feel up to that."

"Look, no one's going to shoot at you or anything." Misato said.

"It's not that, Misato." Kaji replied calmly. "I just don't want to make things awkward… I have been gone for three years… things do change… that's just… life."

"Suck it up, Kaji, you're coming with me on a date." Misato said. " _Don't_ make me order you to go."

"Fine…" Kaji said reluctantly.

"Good… so be ready at eight, ok?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, sure." Kaji said. "I'll uh… see you later."

"Ok." Misato said. "Dress nice!"

"I will." Kaji replied as he left.

–––

Kaji was looking around nervously as he and Misato entered the restaurant. They saw Maya and Kotomi sitting happily a table for four, waiting for them to arrive.

"Hi guys!" Maya said happily.

"Nice of you to join us!" Kotomi said.

"Well someone was dragging his feet." Misato said as she pointed to Kaji. "So, how long have you two been here?"

"Oh, just a few minutes." Maya replied.

"They have unlimited fries." Kotomi said.

"How many baskets have you gone through?" Misato asked.

"Three or four." Kotomi said. "I lost count."

"She didn't have lunch." Maya said as she waived her hand up and down.

"I hope you're not overworking her, Maya." Kaji said.

"I would do no such thing!" Maya replied.

"Well anyway…" Misato interjected. "Thanks for inviting us."

"Well, it was high time that the four of us got together." Maya said. "It's much nicer having an even number come to dinner."

"Yeah, it just feels right." Kotomi added as she reached for more fries.

"Well, I'm glad to be back." Kaji said.

"It's good to have you back." Maya said. "Things just weren't right without you around."

"And we all missed you." Misato said.

"And I missed everyone too." Kaji said awkwardly.

"Hey, remember that time we went to dinner and those three guys thought we were all single?" Kotomi asked. "And they kept hitting on us?"

"Well, until Misato punched their lights out that is." Maya said.

"That wasn't a fun night…" Maya said.

"Yeah it was, those guys really regretted hitting on us after that!" Kotomi said.

"Knowing Misato's right hook, I would guess they did." Kaji said as he stood up. "I'll be right back… nature calls."

"Well don't be long." Misato said. "I'd like to order tonight."

"Just order without me…" Kaji muttered as he walked towards the bathroom.

"Wonder what's up with him." Maya said.

"Oh, he's been like this all day." Misato said. "He'll be fine."

"Are you sure, Misato?" Maya asked. "Cause he's not acting like himself."

"Things change after three years of being a super spy." Misato said. "HE's not the same person anymore… neither am I… people change."

"Yeah, cause I don't think he's coming back." Kotomi said.

"Why would you say that?" Misato asked.

"Cause I think I just saw him walk out the front door." Kotomi replied.

"That son of a bitch!" Misato shouted angrily as she stood up. "I'm gonna…"

May grabbed Misato's arm. "Sit down, Commander." Maya said harshly.

"Why should I?" Misato asked. "I have to go deal with this!"

"Not right now you don't." Maya retorted.

"Fine…" Misato grumbled as she sat back down gruffly.

"Misato, how much time did he have to prepare for tonight?" Maya asked. "Because he didn't mention knowing about anything earlier."

"Why does it matter?" Misato asked.

"Just answer the question." Maya said.

"This afternoon after the activation test." Misato reluctantly replied.

"Was that the best idea?" Maya asked.

"Yeah, he kept blowing you guys off." Misato replied. "It was unfair of him to do that!"

"I told you we'd all get together when he was ready." Maya said. "Not just when you wanted to."

"He's an adult." Misato said. "He can sit though dinner like a big boy."

"Yeah, but he's a changed adult." Kotomi said. "You said it yourself, people change… and maybe he's not ready to deal with it yet."

"He was gone for three years of his own free will!" Misato said. "Anything he missed is his problem, not mine!"

"Misato, he may have missed out on stuff, but maybe he's just not ready to do the double date thing, or even be out in public." Maya said. "Hiding away that long does things to a person. Look at Rei, she's much more open than she was five years ago. She smiles, she laughs, she's no longer the isolated and naïve girl she was. Kaji's been isolated for so long, maybe he's just got a lot to process."

"I don't know…" Misato said. "But he shouldn't have run off like a total jerk."

"I'm not saying what he did was right." Maya said. "But maybe you need to look at it from his side."

"I'm not doing that this time, once was enough." Misato said. "He can come apologize for running off when he's ready. Until then, I'm not talking to him." Misato looked up and saw the waitress approaching. "So, let's enjoy the rest of the night and eat our hearts out, ok?"

"You mean eat our feelings." Kotomi said.

"Whatever, I'm just hungry…" Misato retorted. "And upset."

* * *

June 17, 2020 – NERV HQ

Toji was sitting nervously in the locker room. He was dressed in a new plugsuit, identical to the one he wore that fateful day almost four years ago. It was colored a dark grey–blue on the waist, lower torso, arms and hands. The collar was colored red and contrasted nicely against the grey of the built up chest area and shoulder guards. The plugsuit also had black lowlights on the underside of his arms and running down the sides of his legs coming down from where the chest armor met the rest of the plugsuit. Toji absentmindedly rubbed the "03" stenciled on his chest as he looked woefully the pair of grey A10 connectors he had in front of him.

"I've got to be crazy to do this…" Toji muttered. "I almost died the last time… watching my friends get hurt trying their best not to kill me…" Toji took a deep breath. "I just have to remember that I'm doing this to save Sakura from the pain."

Toji put the A10 connectors in his hair and stood up nervously. "I guess I can't just wait around anymore… I've got to go do this… I have no choice."

Toji left the locker room and went to the Test Cage Maya told him his activation test would take place in. As he got off the elevator and walked towards the Test Cages, he saw Kaji standing in the hallway ahead of him. Kaji waived him over and Toji obliged.

"Hey kid, how ya feeling?" Kaji asked.

"I'm doing fine." Toji said.

"Your face isn't saying that." Kaji said. "I can see you're worried, and you're right to be."

"This isn't a great pep talk, Kaji." Toji said.

"Because it's not a pep talk." Kaji said. "Look, you went through hell four years ago when you tried to do this the last time, but Maya's been through the Evangelion, and you just have to trust her. You've got to face your fears and stare down the thing that almost got you killed. Can you do that?"

"That's funny you say that…" Toji quipped as he snickered. "Aren't you in trouble for running out on a date with Misato?"

"Do you kids talk about everything with each other?" Kaji asked.

"More or less." Toji replied. "So, it's ironic you're telling me to face up to my fears."

"It is, but that doesn't make it any less true." Kaji said. "And I know I fucked up, but that's not going to stop me from making things right… why am I even telling you this?"

"Guilt?" Toji asked.

"Not guilt, kid, regret." Kaji said. "Now stop changing the subject… are you still afraid to get in the Evangelion, or are you going to face down your fears?"

"Well… I guess I can do it…" Toji said. "For my sister if no one else…"

"Good answer, Toji." Kaji said. "Now don't you have an Evangelion to activate?"

"Probably." Toji replied as he walked off. "Good luck with Misato though, I hear she's pretty pissed."

"Yeah, I know she's pissed…" Kaji said as he walked the other direction, leaving Toji to face Unit–03 alone.

As Toji walked into the Test Cage, he looked at how similar it was to the one at Matsushiro. He looked up at Unit–03, it was exactly the same as it was the date of his first activation test. Unit–03 loomed over them with it's mainly obsidian coloring. It had a few highlights of white on the shoulder pylons, shoulders and forearms with a slate colored facemask and knee guards, and a maroon clavicle area. Seeing the Evangelion up close again made Toji extremely nervous, but he did his best to remember that he was doing this to avoid Sakura standing in his shoes.

"Just gotta suck it up Suzuhara…" Toji muttered as he climbed into the pilot's seat once again and was lowered into the Entry Plug, which sealed like a coffin as he settled in. "I'm not going to die in here… I'm not going to die in here…"

" _Hey, you all buckled up in there?_ " Kaji asked.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Toji said. "Let's get this over with."

" _Right then…_ " Kaji said. " _Where were we?_ "

" _Entry Plug is locked in place… outer hatch is secure… connecting to Unit–03._ " Hideki reported. " _Primary connections have been established… connection complete._ "

" _Connecting umbilical cables… opening all circuits… all circuits are open and static… internal batteries are fully charged and on standby._ " Sumire reported. " _S2 Engine coming online… S2 Engine is online… power output is optimal and within normal operating parameters._ "

" _Good._ " Kaji said. " _Proceed._ "

" _Flooding Entry Plug with LCL now… bringing primary systems online._ " Sumire said.

Toji remembered this from before and was ready for the onslaught of LCL as it began pouring into the Entry Plug. Toji took a deep breath and breathed the LCL in, sputtering a bit as the Entry Plug finished filling up.

" _LCL flooding is complete… LCL pressure and charge within normal parameters… primary systems are online._ " Sumire reported. " _Life support is fully operational… internal data recorders are running and transmitting real time._ "

" _Establishing secondary connections._ " Maya said. " _Electrolyzing LCL… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and nominal._ "

The Entry Plug was lit up in a dazzling array of colors, then it was lit up further by a brilliant flash of light, followed by a rainbow of swirling color, then more colors flashed on the walls around Toji until he could see the inside of the Test Cage displayed all around him. Toji looked around in amazement.

"This is as far as we got last time I think…" Toji said apprehensively.

" _We actually got a bit farther than this, but everything's going very well._ " Maya said. " _Just stay calm, the test will be over shortly._ "

" _Configuring language logic interface for Japanese… all preliminary contacts have now been established… performance is nominal… opening bi–directional circuits… communication with the Entry Plug is open on a two–way channel._ " Sumire reported. " _The bi–directional circuits are now open and transmitting… transmission strength and modulation is within normal parameters… brain wave pattern and harmonics are normal… pilot life signs show increased heart rate and pulse, but are otherwise normal… pilot synchronization ratio is at 5.5%._ "

" _Toji, are you ready for the part of this?_ " Kaji asked.

"Yes, I want to get out of here already." Toji replied snarkily.

" _Establishing nerve connections now._ " Maya said. " _Nerve connections are established through 1580… 1700… 1870… 2060… 2310… 2590… clear to 2750… 2940… 3180… absolute borderline in 70… 40… 30… 10… absolute borderline passed… nerve connections now connected through 3510 and active… Evangelion Unit–03 is now online._ "

" _How you feel, Toji?_ " Kaji asked.

"Like something could go wrong at any second." Toji replied sarcastically. "So can we hurry this up?"

" _We're almost there, Toji._ " Maya said kindly. " _Sumire, run the diagnostics please._ "

" _Checking all Evangelion mechanical systems… all mechanical systems green… now checking Evangelion bio–components… all bio–components check out… now checking S2 Engine components… all green._ " Sumire reported. " _Evangelion Unit–03 is in the green … activation test complete._ "

" _Now it's all over, Toji._ " Kaji said. " _Nice work._ "

" _You did really well, Toji._ " Maya said. " _We'll begin the shutdown sequence momentarily._ "

"The sooner the better." Toji said. "I want to get the hell out of this thing."

–––

Misato was just coming home from work, and was both exhausted and upset. She was tired from the continuous mountain of paperwork that ended up no her desk, from requisition forms to information requests, everything went through her for approval at some point or another. But she was also upset because of Kaji.

As she pulled into the parking lot, she saw the kids were all home, which meant that her day would finish on a high note with one of Shinji and Asuka's home cooked meals. Misato got out of the car and went to the elevator and took the fast ride up to the apartment. As she stepped off the elevator, she heard a noise from down the hall, which only got louder the closer she got to the door.

 ** _I feel so unsure  
_** ** _As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor  
_** ** _As the music dies, something in your eyes  
_** ** _Calls to mind the silver screen  
_** ** _And all its sad good-byes_**

 ** _I'm never gonna dance again  
Guilty feet have got no rhythm  
Though it's easy to pretend  
I know you're not a fool_**

 ** _Should've known better than to cheat a friend  
And waste the chance that I've been given  
So I'm never gonna dance again  
The way I danced with you_**

 ** _Time can never mend  
The careless whispers of a good friend  
To the heart and mind  
Ignorance is kind  
There's no comfort in the truth  
Pain is all you'll find_**

 ** _I'm never gonna dance again  
Guilty feet have got no rhythm  
Though it's easy to pretend  
I know you're not a fool_**

 ** _I should've known better than to cheat a friend  
And waste the chance that I've been given  
So I'm never gonna dance again  
The way I danced with you_**

 ** _Never without your love_**

As Misato got to her door, her heart sank and her blood pressure skyrocketed as she saw Kaji standing there with his phone plugged into a set of portable speakers that looked like a boom box.

"Hey, Misato…" Kaji said nervously.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Misato asked. "I'm upset with you, you know."

"And I'm here to apologize." Kaji said.

"Sure you're not going to run off again like before." Misato asked sarcastically.

"I deserved that." Kaji said. "But I am sorry about the other night… I shouldn't have run off… but I told you I didn't want to go."

"And your best response was to run off like a total asshole?" Misato asked. "Kaji, if you keep running off like this, I don't want anything to do with you. My heart just can't take it."

"Misato, I just couldn't handle being out with you three." Kaji said. "So much has changed, and I felt like a third wheel."

"Even though there were four of us?" Misato asked.

"Misato, I felt like an outsider." Kaji said. "Three years is a lot of change to go through. I only had dinner with them the once before everything went down, but you had three years to build that relationship up… it was too damn awkward for me."

"Well, that's your problem isn't it?" Misato said. "For running off for three years to play super spy."

"Yes, but you can't force me to do something and then get mad when don't want to deal with it." Kaji said.

"This is some apology…" Misato muttered.

"Hey, I'm trying to explain why I left." Kaji said. "I think I'm allowed that much."

"You are." Misato said. "But I honestly don't care about what you did. You made your choices, and no you have to live with them. So if you want to continue this relationship, you just can't go and rush off like that. You have to either suck it up… because I don't want you becoming some perverted old hermit!"

"Misato, I'm not going to become some old hermit." Kaji said. "And I know it's my own fault, but I still need time to get comfortable again… work is one thing, but being in public still freaks me out a lot."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Misato asked. "I would have understood that if you told me the other day."

"I was embarrassed." Kaji replied. "I didn't want you to think I'd changed and become a coward or something…"

"Idiot…" Misato said. "Why would I judge you for being honest?"

"I didn't say it made sense…" Kaji muttered.

"Fine, from here on out, no more secrets, no more lies, no more fibs." Misato said. "If we're going to make this work, then we have to be completely honest with each other."

"And we can't make other people keep secrets for us either." Kaji added.

"Fair enough." Misato said.

"So, am I forgiven?" Kaji asked.

"I'll let you know when you finish the song…" Misato said as she hugged him tightly.

 ** _Tonight the music seems so loud  
I wish that we could lose this crowd  
Maybe it's better this way  
We'd hurt each other with the things we'd want to say_**

 ** _We could have been so good together  
We could have lived this dance forever  
But no one's gonna dance with me  
Please stay_**

 ** _And I'm never gonna dance again  
Guilty feet have got no rhythm  
Though it's easy to pretend  
I know you're not a fool_**

 ** _Should've known better than to cheat a friend  
And waste the chance that I've been given  
So I'm never gonna dance again  
The way I danced with you_**

 ** _Now that you're gone  
(Now that you're gone) What I did's so wrong, so wrong  
That you had to leave me alone _**

"Never run away from me again, Kaji…" Misato said softly.

"I promise I won't do that again…" Kaji replied.

"I love you." Misato said as she kissed him.

"I know." Kaji replied. "And I'll always love you."

* * *

June 19, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Senior High School, Class 3–A

School was over for the day, and Hikari was stalling for time by staying late to clean up. She had an appointment at NERV with Unit–06 for its very first activation test. Hikari however was interrupted by her friends, who had an idea of what she was up to.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Mari asked.

"I have a few minutes before I need to leave." Hikari replied.

"No, you need to leave now." Mari replied. "Unless you're nervous or something."

"I'm not nervous." Hikari replied quickly.

"Then how are you feeling?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Asuka asked. "Stop stalling."

"Yeah, staying here isn't going to solve the problem of Unit–06 being activated." Mari quipped. "Besides, Toji was apparently able to suck it up long enough to do it, so you shouldn't have problem."

"But what if I mess up and can't sync to it?" Hikari asked. "I don't want to fail."

"Hikari, this isn't school. There are no grades." Asuka explained. "You just have to do your best and work on improving, that's it."

"None of us were able to get a perfect sync score on the first try." Rei said. "I couldn't even move my Evangelion on my first try."

"So don't worry about messing up." Mari said. "Because you can't mess this up. You just have to put on a plugsuit, sit in the Entry Plug, and concentrate."

"And also not fall asleep." Asuka added. "But other than that, its full proof."

"So I can't fail?" Hikari asked.

"No." Mari repeated. "Is that what you were worried about?"

"Well, partially." Hikari replied.

"And what else are you worried about?" Rei asked.

"Everything that could go wrong." Hikari muttered.

"Don't think about that." Asuka said. "You're wasting your time thinking about that. Just go in there and focus on activating Unit–06, otherwise you'll drive yourself crazy."

"Yeah, there's literally a million things that could wrong when you get in an Evangelion." Mari said. "But that's the risk we take, so embrace it and ignore it."

"You guys are horrible at pep talks…" Hikari muttered.

"Well, we can't be great at everything." Asuka said.

"Pepe talks are more Shinji's thing I think." Mari said.

"He's not that great at them either." Asuka said.

"But you will be fine." Rei added. "I have faith that you can do this without a problem."

"Thanks, Rei." Hikari said calmly.

"So, are you ready to go then?" Mari asked. "Because you don't want to be late."

"Well… I do have one question." Hikari said.

"What about?" Mari asked.

"Will I be on my own, or will you guys be there?" Hikari asked.

"No, it'll just be you and whoever is in charge of the activation test." Rei said.

"Plus, we have to do the cleaning seeing as you're not gonna be here to do it." Mari said. "So get going already."

"Yeah, scram and go activate Unit–06." Asuka said playfully.

"I'll go." Hikari said. "But I have one more question…"

"Shoot." Asuka said.

"How does the plugsuit work exactly?" Hikari asked nervously.

"Ah… that's easy." Mari said. "Now listen carefully, otherwise you'll end up feeling very uncomfortable in that thing."

–––

Hikari was alone in the girl's locker room. It wasn't quite how she imagined her first day in the Evangelion to be, alone. She thought her friends would be there in the locker room with her, but just like Kensuke and Toji, this was a test she had to face alone.

Having listened to Mari and Asuka's instructions on the plugsuits had helped her a great deal. She had very little trouble pulling the plugsuit and once she activated it, she looked herself over, impressed about how it didn't even feel like she was wearing anything. From what Hikari could remember of seeing Asuka at NERV, her plugsuit was a duplicate of Asuka's, just with a different color layout.

Hikari's plugsuit was colored a beautiful teal to match her Evangelion, with a violet highlight along the collar bone, navy blue highlights on the collar, and dandelion highlights on her breasts that looked like pasties. There were also black lowlights on the underside of her arms and several black stripes wrapped around her thighs that accentuated her curves quite nicely. Hikari also had her A10 connectors in her hair, which were the same color as her plugsuit, teal.

"It doesn't even feel like I'm wearing it." Hikari said aloud. "And it actually looks kinda nice too, though the pasties are a bit much…" Hikari grinned. "I wonder how Toji looks in his plugsuit… I bet he looks hot…"

Hikari shook her head. "Can't think about that now… gotta focus." Hikari said to herself. "Now I just need to find this Test Cage, and then I can get this thing started."

Hikari exited the locker room confidently and found a sign pointing her in the right direction. A few minutes and a short elevator ride later, Hikari arrived at the Test Cage and entered. Inside, she saw what the believed to be the Entry Plug with a pilot seat assembly sitting next to it. She then looked up to see the massive Evangelion she was destined to pilot. Identical to Unit–03 and Unit–04 in design, it only differed in color. The vast majority of its body was teal, like her plugsuit, with the collarbone area, knee guards, and the back of its head all being dandelion, with the fore arms, the middle section of the abdominal armor, and thighs being navy blue.

"So pretty…" Hikari said. "The colors look so vibrant…"

" _Wait to get into a fight with it._ " Kaji said. " _The paint looks less vibrant after that._ "

"Mr. Kaji?" Hikari said aloud.

" _IN the control room._ " Kaji said. " _Just sit in the pilot seat when you're ready._ "

"Ok." Hikari said as she walked towards the pilot seat and sat down. As she found the restraints on the seat and fastened the, the crane above her moved and lifted the pilot seat into the Entry Plug. Instinctively, Hikari grabbed the control yokes as the crane released the seat and the hatch over her head closed, leaving her only the faint orange glow of the Entry Plug's ambient lighting.

" _Entry Plug has been sealed._ " Midori reported. " _Standing by._ "

" _Removing Signal Termination Plug._ " Hideki said. " _Signal Termination Plug has been removed from Unit–04… ready to receive Entry Plug… transferring now._ "

Hikari yelped as she felt the Entry Plug move and get heard a dull thud as she felt it get inserted into Unit–06.

"Oh my god, it's really happening now…" Hikari mumbled. "Why in the hell did I sign up for this again…?"

" _Entry Plug has been locked into place… outer hatch secure… connecting to Unit–06._ " Hideki reported. " _Primary connections have been established… connection complete._ "

" _Good._ " Kaji said. " _Sumire, Maya, are we ready for the fun part?_ "

" _I'm ready, Colonel._ " Sumire replied.

" _As am I, Kaji._ " Maya said.

" _Proceed._ " Kaji said.

" _Right._ " Sumire replied. " _Connecting umbilical cables… opening all circuits… all circuits are open and static… internal batteries are fully charged and on standby… S2 Engine coming online… S2 Engine is online… power output is optimal and within normal operating parameters._ "

" _Flooding Entry Plug with LCL now… bringing primary systems online._ " Sumire said. " _Pumps active._ "

Hikari looked and heard the rush of LCL coming towards her. She felt a pang of panic as the liquid washed over her feet, giving her a comforting, yet disturbed sensation all at once. It was warmer than she expected, and it smelled faintly of blood.

" _Just remember to inhale steadily._ " Maya said. " _And just remain calm._ "

"Right." Hikari replied as the LCL washed over her face and she took a deep breath. Hikari coughed and sputtered as she felt the warm LCL fill her lungs, as the taste of blood lingered in her throat. She felt like she was drowning for a moment, but then began to breathe easy as her lungs adjusted to the oxygenated LCL.

" _LCL flooding is complete… LCL pressure and charge within normal parameters… primary systems are online._ " Sumire reported. " _Life support is fully operational… internal data recorders are running and transmitting real time._ "

" _Ready, Maya?_ " Kaji asked.

" _Establishing secondary connections._ " Maya said. " _Electrolyzing LCL… secondary connections established… A10 nerve connections online and nominal._ "

The Entry Plug was lit up in a dazzling array of colors, then it was lit up further by a brilliant flash of light, followed by a rainbow of swirling color, then more colors flashed on the walls around Hikari until he could see the inside of the Test Cage displayed all around her. Hikari looked around in amazement at what she was seeing.

"So that's how they can pilot." Hikari said. "This is astounding…"

" _Wait till you see the outside world from inside._ " Kaji said. " _I'll bet the view is even more breathtaking._ "

" _Configuring language logic interface for Japanese… all preliminary contacts have now been established… performance is nominal… opening bi–directional circuits… communication with the Entry Plug is open on a two–way channel._ " Sumire reported. " _The bi–directional circuits are now open and transmitting… transmission strength and modulation is within normal parameters… brain wave pattern and harmonics are normal… pilot life signs are optimal… pilot synchronization ratio is at 7.6%._ "

" _Excellent._ " Kaji said. " _Maya… how are the nerve connections looking?_ "

" _Ready to go… establishing nerve connections now._ " Maya said. " _Nerve connections are established through 1580… 1710… 1920… 2180… 2470… 2560… clear to 2800… 2990… 3320… absolute borderline in 70… 40… 30… 10… absolute borderline passed… nerve connections now connected through 3510 and active… Evangelion Unit–06 is now online._ "

" _Great work everyone._ " Kaji said. " _How ya feeling, Hikari?_ "

"I'm doing ok." Hikari said. "I feel weird… but I can't quite describe it."

" _Well, that's normal._ " Maya said. " _But your readings are perfectly normal._ "

"So is that it then?" Hikari asked.

" _No, we just have a few diagnostics to run, and then need you to focus for a few minutes for some baseline readings._ " Maya explained.

" _Sumire, run the diagnostics please._ " Kaji ordered.

" _Checking all Evangelion mechanical systems… all mechanical systems green… now checking Evangelion bio–components… all bio–components check out… now checking S2 Engine components… all green._ " Sumire reported. " _Evangelion Unit–04 is in the green … activation test complete._ "

" _Now it's all over, Hikari._ " Kaji said. " _Great job._ "

" _Nicely done, Hikari._ " Maya added. " _As soon as the baseline readings are set, we'll begin the shutdown sequence, ok?_ "

"No problem." Hikari replied happily. "This was a lot easier than I thought."

" _Well, don't get used to it._ " Kaji said scoldingly. " _Things get more difficult form here on out, don't forget that._ "

"I won't, I know this isn't an easy job." Hikari replied. "I'm just really glad I was able to do this without messing it up."

* * *

June 21, 2020 – NERV HQ

Everyone was sitting patiently in the conference room. They were there for another round of sync tests, their first as a group of seven. As they were waiting for their bosses to show up, the kids decided to chat a bit, as they hadn't had the time this past week with all the Evangelion activations.

"So, how did your activation tests go?" Mari asked. "I mean, you're still alive, so they can't have gone too badly…"

"Mari, this isn't a joking matter." Rei said seriously.

"Oh, come on…" Mari said. "I'm trying to lighten the mood in here. It's a little depressing."

"Oh, ignore her." Asuka said. "But in all seriousness, how did it go?"

"It went fine." Hikari said. "I was nervous, but Unit–06 turned on just fine."

"What about you, Toji?" Shinji asked.

"It was nerve wracking considering the last time I tried this." Toji replied. "But I guess… I mean it went ok… but I'm not looking forward to this all that much."

"Isn't anyone going to ask me how it went?" Kensuke asked.

"We can guess that you had a lot of fun and really enjoyed it." Mari joked. "Correct me if I'm wrong though…"

"No, you're right…" Kensuke said sullenly.

"Mari, that's not nice." Shinji said scoldingly. "Kensuke, what did you think of Unit–04? Is it everything you ever dreamed of?"

"Everything and more." Kensuke replied happily. "I don't think I've ever been happier."

"You seem much happier." Rei said.

"Because my dreams are coming true." Kensuke said.

"Yeah, no all you need is a girlfriend, and you'll be fine." Toji said unknowingly.

"Yeah… a girlfriend." Kensuke chuckled nervously.

"Well, I still can't believe they're letting you two be in charge." Mari said as she pointed to Asuka and Shinji.

"Why is that such a problem?" Shinji asked. "We have the most combat experience."

"And the most kills." Asuka added. "Not to mention our sync scores are both over 100% and still climbing."

"It's not like we asked to be in charge." Shinji added.

"But we're going to make the best of it." Asuka finished.

"I'm actually glad it's them and not Mari." Toji said. "You're kinda reckless, Mari… I don't think that's a good quality in a leader."

"I never said I wanted to be in charge, jock." Mari quipped. "I'm just surprised it's them."

"Who would you rather see in charge of us all?"

"Rei." Mari replied. "She's mature, and always level headed."

"I would have refused the responsibility." Rei said. "Shinji and Asuka are far more qualified than I am to be in charge."

"You would have refused?" Mari asked.

"Yes." Rei said. "And I would have insisted it be anyone but me. I don't want that kind of responsibility… not for someone's life."

"Look, no one's going to die." Shinji said. "We're going to kill every Angel that comes at us, and then when they stop coming, we'll all be no worse off than when we started."

"Better yet… none of you have permission to die." Asuka ordered. "And I'm never giving you permission to die either, so you can't."

"That's very reassuring." Toji said as he rolled his eyes.

"You're joking right?" Hikari asked. "Because that's not how orders work…"

"It's how they work now." Asuka said. "We're in charge, and you're not allowed to die." Asuka turned to Shinji. "And that goes doubly to you, baka."

"Why are you looking at me?" Shinji asked.

"Because Mari may be reckless, but you're even worse if you have half a chance of playing hero." Asuka said.

"I'm not the only other reckless one here." Shinji replied.

"Are you implying that I'm reckless…?" Asuka began.

"I believe he is, princess." Mari purred.

"Baka…" Asuka began.

"Asuka, you have been reckless in the past, just as much as onii–chan has." Rei said. "So not point the finger if you cannot accept blame for what you've done."

"Whatever…" Asuka said as she crossed her arms in a huff.

"So, are they always this late to these things?" Hikari asked.

"Not generally." Shinji replied. "Unless something more important is going on."

"Or they have another meeting." Rei added.

"Yeah, we just have to be patient." Mari said as she glanced at Asuka. "Though some of us aren't exactly all that patient to begin with…"

"I am patient enough!" Asuka grumbled as the door opened.

"That's not always the case, Asuka." Kaji joked as he walked in with Maya leading the way, and Misato coming in behind Kaji. They all looked up and watched as they sat down on the other end of the table, away from them.

"Sorry for the wait, we were in the middle of another meeting." Misato said. "But… before you start your sync tests, we thought you should know how you did." Misato motioned to Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke. "Now… you were all able to adequately sync to your EVAs, but I'll leave Maya to explain the specifics."

"Right, so there's a hierarchy of scores that judge how well someone can control an Evangelion." Maya explained. "But there's a minimum threshold that must be met before any control can exercised."

"What's the minimum threshold?" Kensuke asked.

"And did we surpass it?" Hikari asked.

"The minimum threshold is 15.0%." Maya replied. "At that point, the bare minimum of synaptic control can function. Unfortunately, none of you me that threshold… yet."

"What were our exact scores?" Hikari asked.

"Well… Kensuke you did the best with an 8.2%… Hikari, you did nicely with a 7.6%… and Toji you got a 5.5%… well, it's not the best, but your past experiences in Unit–03 would have adversely affected the score…"

"So can we improve our scores?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, it's entirely possible with continued practice and focus." Maya said. "And then your scores could get as high as the others."

"How high are the others?" Toji asked.

"Rei and Mari are in the mid–90s and Shinji and Asuka are well over 100% if I have the numbers correct." Kaji said.

"That's accurate." Maya said. "Though their scores are still improving."

"Still?" Toji asked.

"Would we ever be able to catch up?" Kensuke asked.

"Probably not." Misato said. "But improving your scores is still very important, so don't let that discourage you. They've just had way more practice."

"Oh…" Hikari said sullenly.

"But, I do have news and it's the reason we were running late." Misato said.

"It's about the excess souls." Kaji said. "The Commander has ordered a team be set up to search out and destroy all the remaining Cores to free the souls still trapped in them. While it doesn't make up for what was done to them… or to your parents… the souls will at least be at rest."

"So they're all going to be destroyed?" Shinji asked.

"Save for the seven currently in use by the Evangelions, yes." Misato replied. "Everywhere we can search under the United Nation's authority, we're going to."

"Misato was able to get the U.N. to agree to assist given the… extraordinary circumstances regarding all this." Maya said. "It may take some time, but it will be done."

"Good." Asuka said.

"But what about our moms?" Hikari asked. "What will become of them?"

"Until the Angelic threat has been permanently neutralized, we can't release your mothers' souls." Misato said. "But as soon as any credible threat has been eliminated, they will be set free."

"And on that note, perhaps we should get your sync tests started so you can start to improve them." Maya said as she stood up.

"But uh, Shinji, Asuka, can you stay a minute?" Kaji asked as everyone started to get up. "I'll escort them down in a few minutes."

"Sure thing." Maya said. "Five minutes won't be a big issue."

As everyone left the room, Kaji and Misato looked at them proudly. "I just want to say we're really proud of how you two have handled yourselves the past few months." Kaji said. "You've really exceeded our expectations, which is saying something because they were already pretty high to begin with."

"But, the last few Angels have been tougher and more powerful than anything we've faced before." Misato explained. "And the next one, if there is one, is likely to be even more powerful if the trend continues."

"What we need you to start to do, considering your sync scores more than allow this is to begin training to actively manipulate you're A.T. Fields to attack the Angels." Kaji said.

"But that's not possible!" Asuka said. "We had a hard enough time making a barrier!"

"Yes, but we have some tech that Takao and Maya have been working on to assist with that." Misato said. "Sort of as a focal point for your power. We know that you possess it because Shinji has shown it off when he's extremely angry or otherwise emotionally unstable… but we want to be able to utilize that power to the fullest extent we can."

"When will we start doing this?" Asuka asked.

"During your sync test and also in place of some of your combat training, which, if we're being honest, you two certainly don't need." Kaji replied.

"When does this start?" Shinji asked.

"Today." Misato replied. "Maya will give you further instructions when you get downstairs."

"So let me bring you down so she's not kept waiting too long." Kaji said as he stood up.

"Yay… more work…" Asuka said sarcastically.

"Well, this is the responsibility of command, guys." Misato said as Kaji led them out. "You're always given more responsibility than anyone else."

–––

It had been a long day of tests, and Shinji and Asuka were both exhausted. When they got home, instead of changing or even washing up from their tough day of sync tests and trying to use their A.T. Fields like an Angel would, they simply collapsed onto their bed.

"That totally sucked." Shinji muttered.

"Yeah, no shit." Asuka said. "But we're in charge… so we have to be more responsible or some bullshit…"

"I don't care right now." Shinji replied. "I just want to sleep."

"What, we can't talk first?" Asuka asked.

"As long as it's not about work… we can talk about anything." Shinji replied.

"Well… I've been thinking a lot lately." Asuka said. "About life after this… like can we ever be normal again if we save the world?"

"Probably." Shinji said. "When the world forgets about the Angels and Instrumentality and everything… but this is work related…"

"Sorry." Asuka replied. "I just… I just want to be able to have a family someday and not be haunted by this. Is that too much to ask?"

"It's not." Shinji replied. "And when we have a family, we'll make sure we're the most normal people we can be." Shinji turned overly slowly and kissed Asuka on the cheek. "You'll be such a great mother that no one will remember how great of an Evangelion pilot you were."

"Suck up." Asuka joked as she kissed him back. "But do you really think I'll be a great mom or are you just saying so to shut me up?"

"Why would I lie to make you stop talking?" Shinji asked. "You're a very caring person who can also discipline people pretty well." Shinji smiled. "Just don't order our kids to not die without your permission… ok?"

"No promises." Asuka replied. "So… now that my worries are out of my system… are you in the mood for anything?"

"Well…" Shinji said coyly. "It'll be slow going… I'm a little sore."

"As long as we make it to the finish line, I don't give a shit how long it takes." Asuka replied as she pulled out a condom. "Let's just not start a family quite yet, ok?"

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

As for the songs used in this chapter, I don't own them either, and they're listed below in order of appearance:  
George Michael – _Careless Whisper_ (1984)

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 155.0% (+5.0%)  
Asuka – 145.0% (+10.0%)  
Mari – 96.3% (+9.9%)  
Rei – 90.4% (+12.0%)  
Kensuke – 8.2% (New)  
Hikari – 7.6% (New)  
Toji – 5.5% (New)

This week's chapter title is derived from the movie of the same name, where a young LAPD officer is shown the ropes by a more experienced detective.

This is fairly cut and dry chapter, though it was supposed to be shorter, rushing though something for the sake of length isn't the smartest plan. Now that the new pilots have been selected, it's time for them to get in the Evangelions. I took a similar approach to how the other four were introduced with their Evangelions, activation tests. Yes, it was a bit repetitive with three in a row, but it had to be done as these characters deserved the best introduction possible with their reactions ranging from excitement to near contempt. Toji's was the most important for me to look at considering he never really would have had a chance in the show to ever pilot again with Unit–03 having been reduced to mush, but here, things weren't as bad, and his hesitancy to pilot (in a similar vein to Asuka's initial refusal after three years) is fully understandable.

So, with all the Evangelions now residing in Tokyo–3, and pilots to be assigned to each of them, here's a breakdown of some obvious and not so obvious information.  
Unit–01: Uses the same color layout as Unit–01 in NGE (Shinji).  
Unit–02: Uses the same color layout as Unit–02 in NGE (Asuka).  
Unit–03: Uses the same color layout as Unit–03 in NGE (Toji).  
Unit–04: Olive green as primary color with goldenrod and vermillion highlights.  
Unit–05: Uses the same color layout as Unit–08 in NTE (Mari).  
Unit–06: Teal as primary color with navy blue and dandelion yellow highlights.  
Unit–07: Uses the same color layout as the refit Unit–00 in NGE (Rei).

Kensuke's remark about finally being able to join the military and his glasses not stopping him from piloting is a reference to real world militaries where certain things (such as poor eyesight) can keep you from joining. Kensuke's always wanted to join the military, but due to his poor eyesight, he knows from his extensive military knowledge, he will never be able to join. However, NERV doesn't have this restriction, and he is free to pilot the EVA. Now, I'm assuming that just because he has glasses, his eyesight is poor, like really poor. But considering he wears the glasses all the time, I doubt they're just for reading.

Kaji and Misato's arc is starting to get back to normal, with Kaji continuing with issues after his self–exile from normal human contact. This won't be a continuing theme with them arguing, now that the major things in their relationship have been addressed.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


	10. Chapter 10 – Into the Fire

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Legacy  
Episode VII: Awakenings

* * *

Chapter 10 – Into the Fire  
August 1, 2020 – NERV HQ

Mari was in her Simulation Plug waiting for their latest combat drill to begin. It had been almost twenty minutes since she began breathing through LCL, and even though she was excited for the combat training, it didn't make her any less bored while she waited.

"Oh my god!" Mari exclaimed. "What's taking so long?!"

" _Who knows with them…_ " Asuka muttered.

" _Who cares?_ " Rei added. " _We just have to be patient. Remember when the system crashed the last time? I'd rather wait then have to redo everything._ "

" _Yeah, and I almost had the high score._ " Toji said indignantly. " _Total bullshit._ "

" _Yeah, your score was total bullshit._ " Asuka said. " _Cause you're not that quick on the trigger._ "

" _The hell I'm not!_ " Toji said.

" _Guys, come on…_ " Hikari said. " _The scores are irrelevant._ "

" _They're really not though…_ " Shinji said. " _That's how we know how accurate we are… and Asuka holds the record._ "

"For everything but sniper work." Mari said. "That would be a tie between Shinji and Rei."

" _Well, Hikari's actually correct in this instance._ " Maya said as she joined the comm line. " _The scores won't matter today because you're not doing simulated practice runs… you'll be facing something more challenging seeing as everyone has qualified for all the weapons we have available._ "

" _We'll be what now?_ " Kensuke asked.

" _You're going to be placed in an eight level simulation against digital recreations of some of the Angel's we've faced over the years._ " Kaji explained. " _This is to test your ability to work under actual combat conditions. Maya's set it so that any damage you receive will be fed back through the simulation to make everything as realistic as possible._ "

" _Each of you will face the first two stages alone._ " Maya said. " _Everyone who passes those two stages will be dumped into stage three where the remaining pilots will fight through the remaining stages until either all the Angels have been defeated, or all the Evangelions have been knocked out._ "

"So… what does that mean exactly for our Evangelions?" Rei asked.

" _Your Evangelions have been recreated just as faithfully as, or even more so than the Angels in the simulation._ " Kaji explained. " _Based on the data we have, everyone who can will be able to manipulate their A.T. Fields as they normally would. Friendly fire is not disabled, so check your line of fire and don't hit your allies._ "

" _What about anyone who gets knocked out?_ " Kensuke asked. " _Do we respawn or something?_ "

" _Nope, if you're eliminated, you're eliminated._ " Maya explained. " _Damage is not cumulative so your EVAs will be in perfect fighting shape for each round. There are 20 difficulty levels to get through, and we're starting today at Level 1._ "

" _Great…_ " Kensuke muttered.

"So when do we begin?" Mari asked.

" _Right now if you want._ " Maya replied. " _Unless you think you're not ready._ "

"Oh, I'm ready." Mari said.

" _Mari, you don't get to make that choice._ " Kensuke said. " _Shinji and Asuka do._ "

"Well, hurry up you two!" Mari said impatiently. "I wanna start killing AI Angels!"

" _Relax,_ Captain _, we're ready to begin at their convenience._ " Asuka said.

" _All right… battle sim set up… all Simulation Plugs ready… loading stage 1…_ " Maya said. " _Begin._ "

–––

" _Stage 1… Begin._ " A voice said.

Toji watched as the scenery around him changed. The view had changed to one showing the outskirts of Tokyo–3 where the edge of the city met the hilled grassland that surrounded it. The landscape outside looked very realistic, almost as if it were real. But Toji had to remind himself that it wasn't real and that this was a combat test.

"Damn this is like the VR I've ever seen…" Toji muttered. "Fuck you 4K… this is where it's at… now where is that Angel…"

An alarm went off with arrows pointing to a Pattern Blue off to Toji's left. He turned and saw Sachiel, the first Angel he ever saw, coming straight at him. Toji rolled left to avoid her strike as Sachiel extended her spear to impale Unit–03.

"Fucker…" Toji muttered. "I saw how Shinji fought you the first time. I won't be that easy!"

Unit–03 stood up and Toji flipped on his comm. "Uh… I need some weapons."

" _What kind of weapons, Toji?_ " Sumire asked.

"A beam sabre." Toji said.

" _Air drop in one minute._ " Sumire replied. " _Good luck._ "

Toji rolled right again as Sachiel charged headlong at him. Unit–03 kicked at Sachiel's ankles, causing Sachiel to tumble onto the ground. Unit–03 rocked on its back and leapt back to its feet, with Toji staring down the felled Angel.

"Don't fuck with me, pal." Toji muttered. "Cause I'm about to kick your ass…"

Toji looked up and saw a single VTOL flying towards him which dropped a crate that parachuted down. Unit–03 jogged to the crate and ripped it open, revealing a beam sabre. Toji switched it on, and its deep purple blade hissed to life as Toji stood ready to attack Sachiel, who was now back on her feet.

"Well, come at me, bro!" Toji shouted.

As Sachiel charged again, Toji raised the beam sabre up like a baseball bat and swung at Sachiel as her spear shot out from her left hand. The beam sabre cleaved through the spear, sending it to the ground, and the tip of the beam sabre grazed Sachiel's chest and even hit the Core, cracking it slightly. Sachiel stumbled backwards with blood pouring from her left hand and chest

"That was for my sister…" Toji muttered. "And this is because I don't like you!"

Unit–03 lunged forward, sending the beam sabre straight through Sachiel's chest. She had no time to react as the hilt of the beam sabre slammed into the Core and Unit–03 cut to the right, cleaving Sachiel almost in half. The Angel collapsed in front of him, dead.

"I know it's only a simulation… but that felt _really_ good." Toji muttered at Unit–03 kicked the lifeless Sachiel. "Well… its dead."

" _Stage 1… complete._ " A voice said. " _Rank… B._ "

"Yeah…" Toji paused "Wait, what?! I only get a "B" for what I did?! That's worth at least an "S" you bastard!"

" _Stage 2 loading… please wait._ " A voice said as the scenery disappeared entirely and was simply replaced with a glowing neon green grid.

"Bite me." Toji snapped.

–––

" _Stage 2… begin._ " A voice said.

Hikari found herself standing in the hills around Tokyo–3, near Lake Ashinoko. She was still out of breath from a tough hand to hand fight with Sachiel in the previous stage. But now she was looking directly at the next Angel she had to face, which was slowly coming towards her, Shamshel.

Hikari flipped on her comm to NERV HQ. "Can I get a weapons drop please?" Hikari asked.

" _What would you like?_ " Midori asked.

"A railgun with extra ammo, and a beam sabre please." Hikari asked politely.

" _Two minutes till weapons drop._ " Midori reported.

"Thank you." Hikari replied as she closed the channel.

Shamshel was still off in the distance, but Hikari wasn't too worried. Just as she had done with Sachiel, she was planning on engaging Shamshel at a distance. While she almost got hit a few times, she was able to kill Sachiel without too much difficulty. Hikari decided to zoom in on her opponent and was stunned by her appearance.

"Ugh… that thing looks disgusting…" Hikari muttered as she saw the VTOL approaching with her weapons. "Ok… just need to grab those, and then I can get out of here…"

Unit–06 moved towards the dropping crates and grabbed them before they hit the ground. She pulled them open and stowed the beam sabre on a clamp that popped out of the shoulder pylon and picked up the railgun and its ammo.

Unit–06 turned to Shamshel, who flying horizontally and was almost on top of her. Hikari waited a moment and then opened fire in short, controlled bursts, just like she had been taught. The shots all hit Shamshel's head, ripping though it's A.T. Field and flesh, spraying blood everywhere.

"Oh… I forgot…" Hikari said as she watched Shamshel writhe in pain and float into a vertical position. "I didn't check to see where the Core is…"

Hikari saw the Core in Shamshel's chest, exposed and easy to hit with Anti A.T. Field rounds. "Sorry about this…" Hikari said as she opened fire again, hitting Shamshel directly in the Core, shattering it to bits. Before Shamshel could even attack, she was dead.

"Huh…" Hikari muttered. "Something tells me this won be as easy as it is in real life…"

" _Stage 2… complete._ " A voice said. " _Rank… A._ "

"I guess I did better than last time." Hikari said.

" _Stage 3 loading… please wait._ " A voice said as the scenery disappeared entirely and was simply replaced with a glowing neon green grid.

"Oh… good." Hikari groaned. "At least I won't be alone anymore…"

–––

" _Stage 3… begin._ " A voice said. " _Seven pilots active._ "

Rei sighed. She had only ever seen Sachiel and Shamshel from the safety of NERV HQ. She had never been able to face them directly, so being able to face them, even in a simulation, proved to Rei if she had been able and allowed to fight them, she would have been able to beat them.

"I'm glad I could finally defeat those Angels…" Rei said to herself. "It's been a long time coming…"

As the scenery popped up all around her, she looked and saw Tokyo–3 in the distance with Lake Ashinoko between them and the city. It looked as though there was an octahedron floating above where NERV HQ was, stationary, and even from this distance, a little imposing. Rei glance around and saw that the other Evangelions were all around her.

"Right… we're all in this together from here on out." Rei said. "That could come in handy right about now…"

" _Yeah, after those first two stages, I'll be glad for some support._ " Toji said. " _This is really fucking hard!_ "

"Well, it's about to get a whole lot harder." Rei said. "Onii–chan… I mean Major… do you recognize where we are?"

" _Yeah._ " Shinji replied. " _We're facing Ramiel._ "

" _That's what off in the distance?_ " Kensuke asked.

"Yes." Rei replied. "If we move much closer, Ramiel will fire on us with all its power."

" _So, what's the plan?_ " Hikari asked.

" _We charge it and kill it._ " Mari said.

" _That won't work, Mari._ " Shinji said. " _This thing will shoot if you get within a certain distance, you'll never be able to get close enough._ "

"And the Core is buried deep within its body." Rei said. "We will have to shoot at extreme range from here, just like before."

" _With what?_ " Asuka asked.

"A Buster Rifle at full power should do it." Rei said. "What do you think onii–chan?"

" _Well… is the S2 Engine more powerful than the entire power grid of Japan?_ " Shinji asked.

" _Evan more so, puppy._ " Mari replied.

"Then it should work." Rei said confidently.

" _What if we all equipped ourselves with railguns to distract it?_ " Kensuke suggested. " _Just to distract it._ "

"I doubt the ruse would last very long." Rei said. "But who's going to take the shot?"

" _Rei will._ " Shinji said. "Asuka and I will guard her with our A.T. Fields."

" _We will?_ " Asuka asked.

" _I needed her to guard me when I did this._ " Shinji said. " _With our A.T. Fields combined, we should be able to deflect the shot completely._ "

" _What if you're wrong?_ " Mari asked.

" _If this was real life, we wouldn't even be thinking about that question._ " Asuka said. " _I'm in, baka._ " Asuka opened her comms. " _This is Asuka, we need four railguns with extra ammo and a Buster Rifle._ "

" _Coming right up._ " Sumire replied. " _Estimated time to drop, four minutes._ "

" _Mari, you take Toji and flank from the left, Hikari and Kensuke, flank from the right._ " Asuka ordered. " _I guess I'm here with Shinji to protect Rei._ "

" _What do we do to distract it exactly?_ " Toji asked.

" _Shoot it._ " Asuka said.

"A lot." Rei added. "A simultaneous attack will distract it and split its focus onto both fire teams. I will fire as it splits focus." Rei saw the VTOLs approaching from behind them. "Looks like its time. I will get into position."

The crates dropped, and the Evangelions wandered over and opened the crates up. Unit–03, Unit–04, Unit–05, and Unit–06 took the railguns and ammo and split off, with Unit–05 and Unit–03 on the left, and Unit–04 and Unit–06 on the right. Unit–07 took the Buster Rifle and lowered itself into a prone position facing Ramiel and took aim. Unit–01 and Unit–02 took up defensive positions in front of and on either side of Unit–07, with their arms outstretched.

" _A.T. Field to maximum on my command, baka._ " Asuka said.

" _Right._ " Shinji replied. " _You guys, move out… and stay low._ "

" _Got it._ " Kensuke replied.

" _We'll be careful._ " Mari added.

As the four of them moved out, Rei watched in serene silence as she tried her best to stay calm. She looked out though the targeting sensors at Ramiel, and located his Core. She locked onto her target and was ready to fire at any moment.

"Whenever they are in position, have them attack." Rei said. "I have the shot."

" _Will do._ " Shinji replied.

" _You people heard her._ " Asuka commanded. " _Get into position and open fire!_ "

Rei saw flashes in the distance on either side of Ramiel as four streams of Anti A.T. Field tracer rounds flew at Ramiel's motionless form. Its form however began changing shape. Ramiel unfolded into a set of suspended triangles and charged up a shot and aimed towards Kensuke and Hikari's position.

" _Hikari, Kensuke, move!_ " Shinji ordered as Ramiel fired its bright purple beam at them and decimated the hillside.

" _We're fine._ " Hikari said breathlessly. " _Continuing assault._ "

Ramiel spun around and began charging again, this time aiming at Mari and Toji's position.

" _We'll move at the last possible second._ " Mari said. " _Otherwise it'll track us._ "

" _Wundergirl, please tell me you're ready…_ " Asuka asked.

"I am." Rei said as she steadied her hand. "Charging Buster Rifle to maximum… red lining S2 Engine output to 115% of safety limitations."

" _Is that safe?_ " Shinji asked.

"It is an acceptable risk." Rei said as the Buster Rifle in Unit–07's hands began to crackle with power as Ramiel turned on them.

" _A.T. Fields to maximum!_ " Shinji ordered as red aura erupted from Unit–01 and Unit–02 just as Ramiel fired again. The beam collided with their combined A.T. Fields, and was held back from making contact, unlike the last time.

" _It stopped…_ " Asuka muttered.

" _Not for long…_ " Shinji replied. " _Look._ "

Ramiel discontinued his attack and began to change forms again, this time into an unfolding five–pointed star, unfolding continuously until the beam was charged. With the high–pitched whine, he fired the massive bright purple blast towards the three Evangelions.

" _Rei, now!_ " Shinji implored.

"FIRE!" Rei screamed as the Buster Rifle released all its stored energy into one, powerful blast. The yellow beam of energy ripped through and dissipated Ramiel's shot and vaporized the Angel's Core on impact, causing its body to collapse back to its octahedral form and fall uselessly to the ground.

" _You did, Rei!_ " Asuka shouted excitedly. " _What a fucking shot!_ "

" _Stage 3… complete._ " A voice said. " _Group Rank…S!_ "

" _Nice job, Rei._ " Shinji said.

"Thank you, onii–chan." Rei replied. "Though it feels weird to kill the Angel this way… and not how it originally happened."

" _Well, this way is just as good as the original… but no one got hurt._ " Shinji said happily.

"Yes, no one nearly got vaporized this time." Rei said. "It was not a pleasant feeling…"

" _Stage 4 loading… please wait._ " A voice said as the scenery disappeared entirely and was simply replaced with a glowing neon green grid.

–––

" _Stage 4… begin._ " A voice said. " _Seven pilots active._ "

Kensuke was in a pretty good mood. He had easily survived the first two stages, using his knowledge of military tactics to evade and confront Sachiel and Shamshel's digital copies. Even in the third stage he had faired pretty well overall, and was eager for more. Kensuke looked in front of him and saw a single large Angel he recognized as Israfel.

"Really, this one?" Kensuke asked.

" _Oh, look, a blast from the past._ " Mari joked. " _Try not to get stuck in the ground again, guys._ "

" _Blow me…_ " Asuka said. " _So, baka, how are we handling this?_ "

" _Beats me._ " Shinji said. " _It took us a week to synchronize ourselves to kill them simultaneously._ "

"Why don't we all just shoot them till they can't move and obliterate their Cores when they're defenseless?" Kensuke asked. "He just need firepower, and lots of it…"

"What, more railguns?"

" _And Buster Rifles?_ " Toji asked.

"Yeah, shoot it dead." Kensuke replied. "Then shoot it more."

" _This plan excites me._ " Mari quipped.

" _Unnecessary violence and shooting always do that to you…_ " Asuka grumbled.

" _Well, at least she's consistent._ " Hikari joked.

" _Thank you, freckles, that means a lot._ " Mari said sweetly.

" _Ok, people, focus._ " Asuka said. " _Weapons are inbound, but we don't have the time to wait, cause they're right on us._ "

"What do we do?" Kensuke asked.

" _Avoid them till we can shoot them._ " Mari said.

" _Otherwise, unless we kill them simultaneously, the other's Core will heal them both._ " Rei said.

" _What other one?_ " Hikari asked.

" _This is the one that can split, isn't it?_ " Toji asked.

" _Yep._ " Asuka replied as Israfel split into Kou and Otsu. " _Looks like they're tired of waiting._ "

" _Dodge!_ " Rei shouted as the twin Angels came for them.

All seven Evangelions jumped and scattered in seven different directions. Kou followed Unit–04, and Otsu followed Unit–07.

" _One of them is following me._ " Rei said. " _I will keep it occupied by heading east._ "

"The other one's following me." Kensuke said. "I'll lead it in the opposite direction."

" _Once we have the weapons, circle back and lead them in for the kill._ " Shinji ordered.

" _We'll give you two a couple seconds to hit the deck so we don't shoot you too._ " Asuka replied. " _We may need you for the next stage._ "

Kensuke kept running, keeping a safe distance between himself and Kou. Kou could do nothing but focus on Unit–04, and even though it was out of striking range, still tried its hardest to make contact.

'Figures… I can't even prove myself here…' Kensuke thought. 'I'm just bait because it decided to follow me. How will I ever show them I can be a great pilot?' Kensuke sighed. 'This sucks…'

" _We have the weapons, bring it back_ "

" _Roger._ " Rei replied.

"Understood." Kensuke replied as Unit–04 turned heel and guided Kou back towards the others. 'Now I can prove myself… I think…' Kensuke thought.

Unit–04 and Unit–07 turned towards where the other five Evangelions were waiting with their weapons. Kensuke charged forward, outpacing Rei by a few dozen yards. As Kensuke approached the others, he saw them raise their weapons.

"Almost there…" Kensuke muttered. "Come on… stay with me you ugly thing…"

Kensuke saw Unit–07 running towards him with Otsu following closely behind.

"Rei, am I jumping, or are you jumping?" Kensuke asked.

" _I don't believe that's something we should concern ourselves with!_ " Rei snapped.

"But how are going to avoid crashing into each other!" Kensuke snapped back. "We don't need to get hurt, do we?!"

" _Both of you, just jump left!_ " Asuka ordered. " _In 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… NOW!_ "

Just as Unit–04 and Unit–07 were on top of each other, they both jumped to their left, clearing the line of fire as the other five Evangelions let loose with their railguns and filled Kou and Otsu with Anti A.T. Field rounds. As their Cores were riddled with bullets, both Angels collapsed, twitching wildly, to the ground.

" _Well… I guess that plan worked after all._ " Asuka quipped. " _Nice job everyone._ "

"Wait, so we got chased round by Angels on a fucking whim?!" Kensuke snapped.

" _Well, no plan we ever come up with will ever really work unless we try it._ " Asuka said.

" _That's not the point he's trying to make…._ " Hikari said.

" _Stage 4… complete._ " A voice said. " _Group Rank…A._ "

"Yeah, don't we have some other way of coming up with a plan?" Kensuke asked.

" _Not really…_ " Shinji said. " _We've always sort of made things up as we go along._ "

" _We caught a falling Angel with our hands once._ " Mari said. " _Now that was a fucking stupid plan._ "

" _Stage 5 loading… please wait._ " A voice said as the scenery disappeared entirely and was simply replaced with a glowing neon green grid.

'How will I ever be able to prove myself worthy of being an EVA pilot?!' Kensuke asked himself. 'This is infuriating!'

–––

" _Stage 5… begin._ " A voice said. " _Seven pilots active._ "

Mari saw the scenery appear around her. They were in the Geofront, it looked relatively pristine. NERV HQ looked perfectly normal, and Tokyo–3 hung down from the armored ceiling above them.

"Uh… guys?" Mari asked. "What other Angel has gotten this far before?"

" _Only one that I can think of._ " Rei replied. " _Zeruel._ "

"Oh… good… ribbon hands…" Mari said as she flipped on her comms. "Uh… we need a weapons drop."

" _What would you like?_ " Sumire asked.

"All the weapons." Mari said. "We need all the weapons."

" _Are you sure about that?_ " Sumire asked.

"Don't argue, just do it!" Mari snapped.

" _Please go ahead, Sumire._ " Shinji said. " _We'll need the fire power._ "

" _Not that it did much good last time…_ " Asuka muttered.

" _We'll just have to try harder then._ " Rei said with stony resolve.

" _Well said._ " Toji added as the weapons appeared all around them from hidden armories in the ground. " _Let's kill the fucker._ "

"Yeah…" Mari said as she grabbed a pair of beam sabres and stowed them, and picked up some railgun ammo and a pair railguns. "Lock and load."

" _So, what, are we just shooting it?_ " Hikari asked.

"Until its nothing but a pile of unidentifiable mush." Mari said. "Right, Majors?"

" _It's working well so far._ " Shinji said.

" _Why mess with a winning formula?_ " Asuka added.

" _That still seems excessive._ " Hikari said.

"For this Angel, nothing is excessive." Mari replied as the ceiling above them exploded. "Looks like we've got company!"

Zeruel came out of the fireball created by its attack and settled itself onto the Geofront's surface and faced them defiantly. The Evangelions rushed to grab their various weapons and waited.

"So, what are our orders?" Mari asked.

" _We can't be this clumped together._ " Asuka said. " _We can't do anything effectively like this, we need to split off into groups._ " Asuka sighed. " _Mari, with me. Shinji, take Hikari, Toji, pair off with Rei._ "

" _Sounds fair._ " Shinji replied.

" _Well move!_ " Asuka commanded. " _Mari, we'll face it from the front. Shinji, to the left, Rei, to the right!_ "

" _Roger._ " Rei replied.

" _Got it._ " Shinji replied.

As Unit–02 and Unit–05 stood firm facing Zeruel head on, Unit–01 and Unit–06 split off and went left, while Unit–07 and Unit–03 went right, leaving only Unit–04 near the unclaimed weapons.

" _What about me?_ " Kensuke asked.

" _Scheisse…_ " Asuka muttered. " _Sorry Kensuke._ "

" _Follow us._ " Shinji said.

Unit–07 and Unit–03 reached their position first, followed by Unit–01 and Unit–06 reaching theirs moments later. As second. While Unit–04 moved quickly to join Unit–01 and Unit–06, Unit–03 readied to fire on Zeruel.

" _Eat shit!_ " Toji shouted.

" _Toji, hold your fire!_ " Shinji shouted as Unit–03 opened fire sending several bursts of rounds towards Zeruel, and consequently, Unit–04. " _Kensuke, get down!_ "

" _What…?_ " Kensuke replied.

Before he could even react, Unit–04 was hit with four rounds to the head and dropped to the ground motionless.

" _Kensuke!_ " Hikari shouted.

"He's not moving…" Mari muttered. "We lost one…"

" _Yeah, but were about to lose more!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Look!_ "

The rounds that actually hit Zeruel had drawn his attention towards Unit–07 and Unit–03. Even though he was hit with six rounds in the right shoulder, the Angel shrugged off the injury and moved quickly towards Unit–07 and Unit–03.

" _Guys, move!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Hikari, Asuka, Mari, support fire!_ "

" _Right!_ " Asuka replied.

"Fuck yeah!" Mari shouted in reply as she opened up with her pair of railguns trying to draw Zeruel away like the others were, but it was too late. Zeruel unfolded its arms and shot them forwards toward Unit–07 and Unit–03. They both dodged the initial attack, but were unprepared for Zeruel's follow up attack. While Unit–07 and Unit–03 were still in the Zeruel targeted both with a sweeping blast from its eyes. Toji was sent flying into the ground, creating a crater in the ground on impact while Rei hit the ground and bounced several times before stopping. Both Evangelions lay motionless on the ground as the dust settled.

" _Toji, please respond!_ " Hikari shouted to no avail. " _TOJI!_ "

"REI!" Mari screamed as Unit–05 turned towards Zeruel and she leveled her railguns at him. "NOW YOU DIE!"

Unit–05 emptied its clips into Zeruel's body, wounding it enough to cause it to bleed, but completely missed hitting the Core. Unit–01, Unit–02 and Unit–06 followed suit and opened fire as well, but were unable to hit the Core.

"Fuck this shit!" Mari shouted as Unit–05 dropped the railguns. "Cover me!"

Unit–05 deployed the par of beam sabres it had stored on the clamps in its shoulder pylons and activated them. "Time to fucking die!"

" _Cover fire!_ " Asuka shouted.

Unit–05 charged Zeruel with the deep purple blades crossed in front of her and as she got close, she saw a glint of energy charging in Zeruel's eyes.

"Not today, Satan!" Mari shouted as she slashed outwards with beam sabres, cutting across Zeruel's chest and cutting his Core into four pieces. "Fuck you!"

Zeruel collapsed in front of Unit–05 and Mari deactivated the beam sabres. "We're done here…" Mari muttered.

" _Stage 5… complete._ " A voice said. " _Group Rank… D._ "

"No fucking shit, you stupid ass computer." Mari snapped.

" _Stage 6 loading… please wait._ " A voice said as the scenery disappeared entirely and was simply replaced with a glowing neon green grid.

"Take your fucking time." Mari said. "Not like we can do much with three less Evangelions anyway…"

–––

" _Stage 6… begin._ " A voice said. " _Four pilots active._ "

Asuka sat sullenly inside her Simulation Plug. They had lost three people in the last stage from a stupid mistake, and it both pissed Asuka off and made her upset.

'How can I be a good co–commander if shit like that happens?' Asuka asked herself. 'It's total bullshit… Toji fucked up and we lost Kensuke, Toji, _and_ Rei…' Asuka shook her head. 'And I completely forgot about Kensuke when I was barking orders… I'm an idiot…'

" _Asuka, don't blame yourself._ " Shinji said as the scenery came into view and they stood in a field not far from Lake Ashinoko.

"I wasn't talking out loud baka." Asuka said. "How can you even think I'm blaming myself?"

" _Because I know you._ " Shinji said. " _It's Toji's fault for not being more careful._ "

" _At least it's only a simulation…_ " Hikari said.

"That's not the point." Asuka replied. "If this was real, our friends would actually be dead from a stupid fucking mistake…"

" _Enough._ " Mari said. " _We have to move on without them and focus, otherwise we won't make it out of this simulation successfully._ "

" _So, what Angel are we up against next?_ " Hikari asked.

"Well…" Asuka wondered. "There are only three possibilities left. Armisael and the two new Angels… given we've gone in order so far, I'd guess it's Armisael." Asuka looked around and noticed the Armisael in the distance, floating eerily in its round double helix form. "Scratch that… it _is_ Armisael."

" _The tentacle?_ " Mari asked. " _Seriously?_ "

"Yeah… and if it is no one is allowed to self–destruct, got it?" Asuka asked. "Because we need to use real tactics here… something we can replicate in the real world."

" _You didn't even need to give that order._ " Mari said. " _But how are we going to defeat it? It's body is its Core._ "

"We just have to utterly vaporize it." Asuka said. "Shinji, wanna try something out?"

" _You don't mean…_ " Shinji asked.

"Oh, I do." Asuka replied. "Think we can do it?"

" _It'll have to be lured into a trap._ " Shinji said.

" _I'll be the bait._ " Mari said.

" _What about me?_ " Hikari asked.

"Assist Mari by providing covering fire." Asuka said. "And we should be able to make this work." Asuka smiled. "Or die trying."

" _Sumire, can we get four Buster Rifles please?_ " Shinji asked.

" _They'll be with you in one minute._ " Sumire replied.

"Ok… let's get ready." Asuka said.

Just as Unit–05 and Unit–06 took up their weapons, Armisael began moving towards them. Unit–01 and Unit–02 ran off into the trees to try and hide from Armisael's approach.

"We'll tell you when and where." Asuka said.

" _Just don't be late._ " Shinji added.

" _Right._ " Hikari said.

" _Yeah, no problem._ " Mari replied as they took up their own position right in Armisael's path. " _Just don't let it touch you, ok?_ "

" _Why?_ " Hikari asked.

" _It'll do things…_ " Mari replied.

" _Ok…_ " Hikari said.

Asuka took up her position opposite Shinji, she looked to see how Hikari and Mari were doing. Unit–05 was pointing its Buster Rifles at Armisael, while Unit–06 held its own aloft.

"Ok, we're at your ten o'clock." Asuka said. "Run for the tree and we'll do the rest."

" _Ok._ " Hikari replied. " _Go for it, Mari._ "

" _Here Angel, Angel, Angel…_ " Mari muttered as Unit–05 began firing on Armisael, and miraculously causing some minor damage to its body.

" _Wow… it did damage…_ " Shinji said in amazement.

"Well… id hope it would do something to grab its attention…" Asuka replied as Armisael lashed out in its noodle form and tried to strike Unit–05. Unit–06 fired at the striking tendril, hitting it with two solid shots and Armisael writhed in pain.

" _Time to run!_ " Mari shouted. " _You two better be ready!_ "

"We are, don't worry about that." Asuka replied. "Shinji, get ready…"

" _Right._ " Shinji replied.

As Unit–05 and Unit–06 ran towards them, Unit–01 and Unit–02 stretched out their arms and readied their A.T. Fields. As Armisael followed behind Unit–05 and Unit–06, they each took turns firing blindly behind them in an effort to hit Armisael and keep it distracted.

" _Just keep running… just keep running…_ " Hikari muttered to herself.

" _We're almost there!_ " Mari shouted.

"Just get the fuck out of the way when you get here." Asuka said as Unit–05 and Unit–06 passed Asuka and Shinji's position. Seconds later, Armisael crossed the line and the pair sprung their trap.

"A.T. Field to maximum!" Asuka shouted as pale blue auras erupted around Unit–01 and Unit–02, causing the scenery to disappear and reappear from the simulation. A shimmering blue and purple bubble had been formed around Armisael, trapping it completely inside.

" _Armisael's trapped in our bubble!_ " Shinji exclaimed happily.

"Now we nuke it!" Asuka said as energy built up on her side of the bubble they created.

" _I know!_ " Shinji replied as energy began to build up on his side as well.

Inside the bubble, as Armisael lashed out at the impenetrable wall surrounding it, the energy from both Evangelion grew large and larger. As it touched Armisael, it recoiled and tried to stay away from the energy, until it was entirely surrounded and with nowhere to go, Armisael was engulfed by the energy and the bubble exploded into a fiery blue light which dissipated, leaving nothing behind.

"And that's how you kill an Angel." Asuka said proudly.

" _Stage 6… complete._ " A voice said. " _Group Rank… S!_ "

"Damn right it is." Asuka said. "All's right with the world now."

" _Stage 7 loading… please wait._ " A voice said as the scenery disappeared entirely and was simply replaced with a glowing neon green grid.

" _We still have two more stages, Asuka._ " Shinji said.

" _Yeah, don't get all cocky._ " Mari added.

"Please, if we can handle this, we can handle anything." Asuka retorted.

–––

" _Stage 7… begin._ " A voice said. " _Four pilots active._ "

Shinji looked around and saw that they were in the foothills around Tokyo–3 again. Shinji looked around and identified the Angel they needed to beat, Iblis.

"Asuka, we have a problem." Shinji said.

" _What?_ " Asuka asked.

"It's the Eighteenth Angel." Shinji said. "We're in big trouble now…"

"What the exploding turtle?" Mari asked.

" _The very same…_ " Asuka muttered. " _I'm not sure of what to do…_ "

"Repeat how we beat it before." Shinji said. "Use its own energy to kill it."

" _All we have to do is hold our A.T. Field in place until it dies again!_ " Asuka added.

" _What can we do?_ " Hikari asked.

"Support the A.T. Field." Shinji said. "We'll need all the help we can get."

" _Right._ " Asuka said. " _We're gonna need an airstrike with like four N2 bombs._ "

" _You can't be serious._ " Sumire said. " _You can't authorize his!_ "

"According to Colonel Kaji, we can." Shinji said.

" _Yeah, we're in charge here!_ " Asuka said proudly.

" _Very well…_ " Sumire said. " _Airstrike inbound in five minutes._ "

" _What do we do until then?_ " Hikari asked.

"We follow the Angel and then we surround it and put up our A.T. Fields to max." Shinji said. "So let's roll out."

The four remaining Evangelions marched slowly towards Iblis. As the came over a hill, they saw the turtle–like Angel going through a small valley, the perfect place to isolate and destroy him.

" _How long till the airstrike?_ " Asuka asked.

"Two minutes or so." Shinji replied.

" _Do our pylon railguns have Anti A.T. Field rounds?_ " Asuka asked.

" _As far as I know._ " Mari said. " _Why?_ "

" _We need to hold it here._ " Asuka said. " _Hikari, take the back, Mari, take the front, I'll take the left side, and…_ "

"And I guess I've got the right side covered." Shinji finished. "Mari, be wary of the claws and mouth, ok?"

" _No need to worry, boss._ " Mari joked. " _I've faced worse._ "

"And Hikari, don't mess with the tail." Shinji added.

" _Roger that._ " Hikari replied.

As they surrounded Iblis, their shoulder pylons opened up, revealing small caliber railguns meant solely for close quarters defense. However, with Anti A.T. Field ammo loaded in them, they could be used effectively as a distraction against an Angel. They opened fire on the unsuspecting Iblis to hold him in place while they waited for the airstrike. The rounds, while small, still did enough damage to cause him to bleed and lash out towards them. But with four Evangelions firing on him, he didn't know where to attack first.

" _Airstrike_ _is inbound._ " Sumire reported. " _Be ready._ "

"Copy that." Shinji said. "It's time everyone."

" _For?_ " Mari asked.

" _Extend you're A.T. Field to maximum!_ " Asuka snapped.

" _Yeah, yeah…_ " Mari quipped.

" _Right._ " Hikari replied.

All four Evangelions extended their arms outward. Blue auras erupted around Unit–01 and Unit–02 while weaker red shimmers formed around Unit–05, and nothing really visible formed around Unit–06. The wall solidified itself just as the N2 Bombs dropped, and hit their target creating a massive mushroom cloud. The blast was held back by their combined A.T. Fields, but what came next would be the hard part.

" _We gotta make the dome!_ " Asuka cried.

"I know!" Shinji replied. "Come on Shinji… focus…"

Iblis retracted his tail into his shell while the eye symbol on his shell began to glow brightly. The spikes on the shell began to glow white. As they gathered a massive ball of energy between them, the sky started to turn black, and electrical discharges shot off from the ball as it got steadily larger, impacting the sides of the dome. The ball of energy then pulsed three times, and Iblis released the energy and the inside of the dome shined white as the massive explosion of energy tried to force its way out. The dome began to strain under the pressure as energy started to bleed out from several fissures.

" _Shinji, it's not gonna hold!_ " Asuka cried.

"We have to hold it!" Shinji shouted back. "We did it before!"

" _Yeah, but look!_ " Asuka shouted. " _We're done for!_ "

" _Do we have time to run?_ " Mari asked.

"No… we can't outrun this…" Shinji said. "But everyone did a great job."

" _Yeah… good job everyone._ " Asuka added.

The A.T. Field dome, now filled with micro fissures finally failed. As the energy was released, all four Evangelions were blown backwards and disappeared into the white light.

" _Stage 7… incomplete._ " A voice said as the scenery disappeared entirely and was simply replaced with the blank walls of the Simulation Plugs. " _Mission parameters failed… simulation terminated… please wait._ "

–––

Back in the conference room, everyone was still in their plugsuits and looked rather upset. Unlike their usual banter while waiting for Misato and the others to arrive, they sat in silence until Misato, Kaji, and Maya walked through the door.

"Wow, so quiet in here." Misato remarked as she sat down. "So… do you guys feel like talking?"

"We failed, what else is there to talk about?" Mari asked.

"We were unable to complete the mission…" Rei muttered. "If it had been real life, we'd all be in the hospital… or worse…"

"Yeah, can't we just leave?" Asuka asked.

"Major Soryu, that's not how officers act." Misato said. "You have to learn from your mistakes."

"What mistakes did we make?" Kensuke asked.

"It was only one mistake that sank us." Shinji said.

"Shinji…" Hikari muttered.

"Who's mistake?" Maya asked. "Kensuke's?"

"It wasn't Kensuke fault." Shinji said matter–of–factly.

"Then who's was it?" Misato asked.

"Toji fired without authorization." Shinji said. "He not only took out Kensuke, but put himself and Rei at risk and ultimately Kensuke and Rei paid dearly for his mistake."

"Is that your official after action report, Major Ikari?" Kaji asked.

"Yes." Shinji said curtly.

"Do you agree with that assessment Major Soryu?" Kaji asked.

"Asuka…" Hikari murmured.

"Yeah, we were down three Evangelions in stage 7 and we lost without their additional assistance." Asuka replied. "If it wasn't for Toji's mistake, we could have made it to the final stage and probably completed the simulation successfully."

"What are you two blaming me for?!" Toji asked angrily. "I shot the Angel!"

"You shot me too, Toji!" Kensuke snapped. "Did you even look before you fired?! Because what I saw in the replay, you only grazed its shoulder and didn't even hit anything important!"

"I was taking the Angel on!" Toji replied.

"Come on guys, let's talk like adults…" Hikari begged.

"Yes, but you also drew its attention solely on us." Rei said. "If we fired together, we could have at least confused it, if not subdued it without anyone getting injured."

"How was I supposed to know that?!" Toji snapped.

"Because you're supposed to listen to orders!" Mari retorted.

"Guys… just stop…" Hikari pleaded.

"Because you listen to orders!" Toji snapped.

"I do when they involve the life of others!" Mari retorted.

"And she didn't shoot any of her allies!" Asuka shouted back.

"Well, he should have dodged!" Toji shouted.

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Hikari screamed getting everyone to quiet down immediately. "Arguing is getting us nowhere! Toji fucked up, we get it, but shouting at each other won't make things any better!"

"Well said, Hikari." Kaji said. "So… we're going to forego any more of this debriefing… for the very same reason Lieutenant Horaki mentioned so… eloquently." Kaji paused. "As long as the Commander approves of course."

"Wholeheartedly." Misato replied. "So… go home and relax. I'm also spending sync tests for a few weeks so you can all cool off."

"We are?" Maya asked.

"Yes." Misato said. "Save for Asuka and Shinji coming in later this week to go over some of their additional training."

"Understood, ma'am." Asuka said.

"Yes, Commander." Shinji replied.

"Dismissed." Misato ordered as the kids, silently, and without argument, all filed out of the room. Kaji followed them and closed the door behind them as they left.

"Well… that could have gone better…" Kaji said.

"Well, the simulation worked better than expected." Maya said. "And the results proved out your theory, Colonel."

"That they may all be fairly skilled, even the newbies after a month of training and exercises." Kaji said. "But they lack cohesion as a team."

"A blind man could see that, Kaji." Misato said. "But this is serious. We haven't seen any signs of an Angel in some time, but they could attack any day now."

"They were doing so well too…" Maya said sullenly.

"They are still doing well." Misato corrected. "They can all pilot effectively and understand individual tactics… but if we were to send them out a team…?"

"I suspect the result would be something close to what we witnessed in stage 5 and stage 7." Kaji said. "A costly mistake, and a loss of morale."

"Well, let's hope things improve before the next Angel shows up." Misato said. "Otherwise all of humanity is in danger…"

* * *

August 4, 2020 – Tokyo–3 Senior High School, Class 3–A

The kids were leaving for the day after another grueling day at school. Toji was missing, as he had been the past three days, as he refused to speak to any other them after being blamed for the simulation training being a failure. Hikari had been unusually morose the past few days as well, and hadn't really talked to anyone outside her usual duties as Class Representative. As Shinji and Asuka packed up their bags and were just about to leave, Hikari walked over to them quietly.

"Hey… Shinji?" Hikari asked quietly. "Can we… talk?"

"Yeah." Shinji said.

"What about?" Asuka asked.

"Toji." Hikari replied. "I'm really worried… he's been gone for three days now. No answer at his apartment, and he's phone's off. He's never been like this before."

"He hasn't talk to you at all?" Shinji asked.

"No." Hikari replied. "I was wondering if you'd heard anything?"

"He's not likely to call me." Shinji replied. "I started this all off, didn't' I?"

"What an asshole…" Asuka muttered.

"Asuka… not helping." Shinji muttered.

"Just pointing out the truth." Asuka said. "He's being an asshole."

"Who's an asshole?" Mari asked as she and Rei walked over.

"Toji." Asuka replied.

"Oh…" Mari said.

"Have you seen him at all?" Hikari asked.

"Well, yeah." Mari said.

"Really?" Hikari replied hopefully. "Where?"

"In a tree out in the courtyard." Mari sad as she pointed her thumb behind her towards the windows. "He's just sulking. Been there all day."

"Seriously?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah." Mari said. "Rei saw him too, right?"

"Yes, he's out there." Rei replied. "Tracksuit and all."

"That… that…" Hikari stammered.

"Asshole?" Asuka offered.

"Dumbass!" Hikari said as she stormed from the room.

"We should probably follow her…" Shinji suggested.

"Hey, where's everyone going?" Kensuke asked as Hikari stormed past him.

"Toji's outside." Mari said simply, and Kensuke followed them out of the classroom.

Hikari ran outside to the courtyard and stopped in the middle of it and took a deep breath. As the other kids came out of building, they saw her cup her hands around her.

"Toji Suzuhara!" Hikari screamed. "Get down here right now! I know you're here! Mari and Rei saw you hiding out in a tree!"

They watched as Toji dropped from a tree near the front door as he called out to Hikari. "I'm over here, babe."

"Don't you "babe" me you fucking dumbass jerk!" Hikari snapped as she stormed over to Toji and slapped across the face. "Don't you EVER disappear on me again! Otherwise I'll dump your ass so fast and find someone else, you won't know what the fuck happened!"

"Hey, that hurt!" Toji shouted.

"Well, so are my feelings, but you don't seem to care about those, do you?!" Hikari shouted. "Three days, Toji?! Three fucking days?! You had me worried sick! I thought you were hurt… or worse! What the fuck were you thinking?!"

"That I was pissed off and didn't want to talk to anybody." Toji replied. "Everyone blamed me for the simulation…"

"Because it was your fault, Toji!" Hikari replied. "But running away doesn't solve anything! Just ask Shinji!"

"Don't drag me into this…" Shinji muttered.

"Hey, you used to run away all the time." Asuka said. "Suck it up."

"Well I really don't want to talk to that two faced jerk anyway!" Toji snapped. "He called me out in front of everyone!"

"Because you fucked up, Toji!" Hikari said. "Just admit it! You shot without looking and took Kensuke out! Say it!"

"And he had no choice!" Kensuke said angrily. "He had to accurately report what happened as our co–unit commander! He couldn't lie to cover your bad judgment… that would make him a bad leader!"

"Oh shut up!" Toji snapped. "I didn't fuck up!"

"Suck it up, you big pussy!" Mari shouted back. "You had that poor, sweet girl worried about you, you don't deserve her if you're gonna pull that shit! And you shouldn't be a pilot either if you can't even own up to a legitimate mistake!"

"No one's perfect!" Toji shouted back.

"We're aware of that, but we can also admit out faults!" Mari shouted back. "I'm a reckless freak who loves blowing shit up for fun! I blew up my last Evangelion because I thought it wouldn't old up to anymore fighting! I have a genius level intellect, but I refuse to think about what I'm about to do before I do it!" Mari paused. "Just fucking admit you fucked up and shot your friend so we can move on from this bullshit!"

"I… I didn't mean to…" Toji muttered. "I just wanted to… be the hero… to prove myself."

"Well, in our line of work, that's liable to get people in some deep shit." Asuka snapped.

"Or worse…" Rei said.

"Worse…?" Toji asked.

"She means dead, jockstrap." Mari said bluntly. "So, do you get it now? Don't fucking shoot without orders… and maybe learn how to fucking aim."

"And own up to your mistakes." Hikari said as she punched his shoulder. "And don't run away again!"

"Fine…" Toji muttered. "But I'm still upset."

"Why?" Kensuke asked. "You didn't get shot."

"Oh… it doesn't matter…" Toji grumbled.

"No, it does matter." Asuka said. "So tell us what's bugging you."

"Well… everyone seems to have forgotten that I almost died in that thing… and you all jumped on me for making a mistake."

"Yeah, and?" Mari asked. "The four of us have almost died a few times. Asuka and Rei actually have."

"Yeah, but I wanted to get it over with." Toji said. "So I was… I was in a rush."

"Finally… he admits some fault." Mari quipped.

"Ok, so you were in a rush." Asuka said. "Maybe you need to talk to someone about what happened that day."

"Maybe this should be a private conversation." Hikari muttered.

"It can't be if his performance is going to affect us all." Asuka said. "If we can't trust him in a simulation, how can we trust him when an actual Angel attacks?"

"I… I don't know…" Hikari said.

"Look, tell Hikari about it." Asuka said. "Get it off your chest, trust me it helps. Then maybe you won't be afraid anymore."

"Yeah… I understand." Toji said.

"So are you done hiding, or would you like to run off again?" Mari asked.

"I'm good now." Toji said.

"Good." Hikari said. "Because I have the printouts of everything you've missed, and you have a lot of work to make up mister!"

"Yeah him and a whole bunch of other people…" Kensuke muttered. "Or have you forgotten a huge chunk of our classmates has been sick?"

"No, I didn't forget." Hikari said. "But they had reasons! Toji was just hiding!"

"How many kids were sick exactly?" Toji asked.

"Oh, about a third of the class has been out since Monday." Hikari said. "Some kind of stomach bug is going around."

"Yeah, so you not being here wasn't really noticed all that much." Mari joked.

"Still, it's not your excuse for being absent!" Hikari said angrily. "So you're not off the hook yet pal!"

"But vacation starts next week!" Toji protested.

"Well, that's your own fault for skipping the beginning of the week!" Hikari snapped back. "Now, no more excuses, you have a lot of work to catch up on!"

–––

Shinji and Asuka were in the Evangelion Cage after having returned from a live fire exercise outside the city. Over the past month, Shinji and Asuka had been directed to practice using their A.T. Fields in the wasteland surrounding Old Tokyo where no one would be at risk form their attempts. They were still dripping wet with LCL, but they were proud of what they had accomplished today. Misato, Kaji, and Maya rushed out to meet them to see how they were doing.

"Well, well, well." Kaji said. "Nicely done you two. Those are the first offensive things you've done with your A.T. Field."

"Under your own control." Maya added. "Unit–01's done far worse while it was berserk."

"True, but now we know you're harnessing your power." Kaji said. "Hopefully we have more time before the next Angel comes, and maybe you'll have better control of it."

"It was only a few energy blasts." Shinji said modestly.

"Weak ones at that." Asuka said humbly. "We still need more practice for something more sustained."

"And capable of actually killing an Angel." Shinji said.

"You guys don't think those blasts would hurt an Angel?" Maya asked.

"Nope." Asuka replied. "They were practice shots, and they were rough."

"How do you know though?" Kaji asked.

"It's because of how we visualized the attack." Asuka replied.

"And how exactly did you accomplish that?" Misato asked irritably.

"Well… the attacks we need to pull off are a little like using _ki_ , right?" Asuka asked.

"Using what?" Maya asked.

"Using _ki_ , from Dragon Ball…" Asuka replied. "We just have to focus it like they do in the show. Concentrate on what we want and focus our power in our hands."

"Asuka, that's an anime." Misato said. "It has no bearing on real life. This is the real world, it won't work."

"Shinji, back me up here." Asuka said. "How did you get the energy to form?"

"I concentrated on making some kind of attack." Shinji said. "And I formed a weak ki blast… isn't that what we talked about the other day?"

"You're both insane…" Misato said.

"No we're not!" Asuka said. "My idea worked, and now we just need to make something useful out of it!"

"Well… the data from today certainly helped things along." Maya said. "Especially for the completion of some new Evangelion Equipment."

"What Evangelion Equipment?" Asuka asked.

"The new Type–I Equipment." Maya said. "The A.T. Field Control Equipment. It's been in development since the last time around, but recent technological developments have helped us put it into limited production for two Evangelions thus far. "

"Can't imagine which two would be being equipped like this…" Asuka muttered.

"Well, the generators and antennas on the armor modules will amplify your attempts to control you're A.T. Field, at least until you can do it yourselves." Maya explained. "But it has some downsides… the armor, like the Type–E Heavy Armament, it adds extra weight to the EVA, about 20% more weight, so your movement will be slowed somewhat. But the projected sheer increase in offensive A.T. Field power outweighs the disadvantages."

"So, this is all untested?" Shinji asked.

"For now." Misato said. "We'll be installing the Type–I Equipment tonight so that its connectivity can be tested, and next week, you'll have it for your next live fire test."

"That's insane." Asuka said.

"That's NERV in a nutshell." Kaji quipped.

"What if an Angel attacks?" Asuka asked. "And that stuff is still on it?"

"Yeah, that's a big issue!" Shinji added. "We can't be slowed down like that when an Angel attacks! We need our mobility!"

"Look, either it gets tested first and put into combat, or put directly into combat." Misato replied. "Either way, you'll end up using it in combat at some point, so there's no use in complaining."

"Just drop the unrealistic way of conjuring your attacks." Maya said. "I don't think it'll really help you all that much."

"No." Asuka replied defiantly. "When we do the tests next week, we'll show you how well it works."

* * *

August 8, 2020 – Comfort 17 Apartments

It was very early in the morning, and Shinji rolled over and woke up suddenly. He looked to Asuka's side of the bed and found it empty. It was unusual for Asuka to disappear in the middle of the night. Shinji got up and went to the bedroom door to check if Asuka was in the bathroom, and heard a horrific sound.

HUUUURGGEHH

"What the hell was that?" Shinji wondered aloud.

Shinji walked to the closest bathroom and heard the toilet flush and flung the door open. He saw Asuka hunched over the toilet, vomiting so hard she was crying.

"Asuka!" Shinji shouted. "Are you ok?!"

"Stay… HUUUURGGEHH… away baka…" Asuka muttered weakly as she threw up again mid–sentence. "You can't… HUUUURGGEHH… get sick too… HUUUURGGEHH… call Kaji… HUUUURGGEHH…"

Shinji left the bathroom and looked into the others. Rei and Mari were in the next bathroom over, with Mari vomiting into the tub because Rei was using the toilet. Shinji ran to Misato's bathroom and heard the same thing. Shinji ran back to Asuka.

"I'm calling for help, just hold on." Shinji said frantically.

Shinji ran back to his room and picked up his cell phone and dialed Kaji.

Brrring… brrring… brrring…

" _Hey Shinji, what's wrong?_ " Kaji answered. " _Why are you calling so late?_ "

"Kaji… uh… everyone's sick up here! They're all throwing up!" Shinji replied frantically.

" _Who's sick?_ " Kaji asked.

"Asuka, Mari, Rei, and Misato!" Shinji replied. "They're throwing up a lot!"

" _Ok… go to your room and hang tight._ " Kaji said. " _I'll be there in a few minutes._ "

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked. "Aren't you home?"

" _No, I'm at HQ._ " Kaji replied. " _Just sit tight and avoid contact, ok?_ "

"Ok…" Shinji muttered as he hung up the phone. "I guess I'll just sit and wait…"

–––

After almost an hour of hearing everyone in the apartment puking their guts out, there was a loud commotion out in the kitchen. Shinji got up and walked out and was met with a dozen people in hazmat suits. Kaji had Pen–Pen under his arm, and he himself was also dressed in a hazmat suit.

"Shinji, come with me, you can't stay here right now." Kaji said. "We're heading for my apartment, ok?"

"What about clothes and stuff?" Shinji asked.

"No time." Kaji replied. "Don't argue, just come with me right now, please."

"Right…" Shinji said as Kaji led him out of the apartment and downstairs to the old apartment. "What about them…"

"Shinji, come on!" Kaji urged as he pulled Shinji from the apartment.

Kaji stripped out of the hazmat suit and flopped down on the couch. "Sorry to rush you out of there, kid." Kaji said. "But we have a big problem."

"What's that?" Shinji asked.

"With Misato incapacitated, it leaves me in command." Kaji said.

"Isn't there like a Sub–Commander?" Shinji asked as Pen–Pen waddled over to him.

"No one's been appointed yet, so as the next highest ranking officer, I'm it." Kaji said. "I had to notify the U.N. about Misato's condition… and she's not gonna be too happy about that." Kaji sighed. "And with Asuka, Mari, and Rei out of commission, you're the senior pilot, so if an Angel attacks…"

"It's me with Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke against an Angel." Shinji said as Pen–Pen laid in Shinji's lap and Shinji began stroking his head. "But they're not ready for that yet."

"Yeah, no kidding." Kaji said. "So if you believe in god or whatever… start praying, because if something attacks, you're essentially on your own."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Shinji said. "But who's gonna take care of the four of them? I really should at least check on them…"

"Shinji, I know you care for them all very much, but you staying healthy is the most important thing right now." Kaji said as he noticed Shinji's grimace. "But… if you put on a hazmat suit, you can at go tell them why you can't look after them yourself, ok?"

"Ok." Shinji replied. "Just so they don't think I abandoned them…"

"I doubt they would ever think that, Shinji." Kaji replied. "Now let's go get you suited up, ok?" Kaji smiled. "But Pen–Pen has to stay here…"

Shinji looked down and realized Pen–Pen had fallen asleep in his lap. He gently nudged Pen–Pen until he reluctantly woke up.

"WARK!" Pen–Pen squawked angrily.

"Sorry, I didn't want to stand up with you still on my lap." Shinji replied.

"WARK!" Pen–Pen squawked as he rubbed his belly with one fin.

"I'll get you some jerky when the stores open up." Shinji said. "You can have a whole bag for breakfast."

"Wark, wark!" Pen–Pen squawked in reply as he hopped down and wondered to his old freezer unit.

"Even after all this time, I still can't get used to how intelligent he is…" Kaji muttered. "Anyway, let's get you suited up."

–––

Shinji waited patiently inside the apartment while the medical team finished their examinations of everyone. He sat in the bulky, and frankly uncomfortable hazmat suit he'd been provided with to keep him from getting sick. The suit was muggy from his heavy breathing, even though there was a fan pack meant to keep the suit humidity free, and it was heavy and hard to move around in.

As the medical staff filed out past him, Asuka, Mari, Rei, and Misato moved slowly behind them and collapsed into the chairs, looking gaunt and pale, with Rei somehow managing to look even more pale than usual.

"I assume Kaji's assumed command?" Misato asked.

"Yeah." Shinji replied. "He's also sorry that he had to inform the U.N. about your… condition…"

"Rules are rules I suppose…" Misato mumbled.

"So Shinji, what's with that get up?" Mari asked. "Are you here to make us feel better?"

"I can't… Kaji's orders…" Shinji replied. "He doesn't want me to get sick."

"Why not?" Mari whined. "You're really good at playing doctor!"

"Kaji's just not thinking straight." Asuka said.

"No… Kaji's absolutely right." Misato replied. "We can't afford to get Shinji sick… so we'll just have to manage."

"Why?" Asuka asked. "He's gonna better than some quack doctor…"

"Asuka, he's the only senior pilot available." Misato said. "And I don't think our new pilots are quite ready to potentially face an Angel alone."

"Oh… I didn't think about that…" Asuka muttered.

"Neither did I…" Mari said.

"How could that not cross your mind?" Rei asked as she shook her head. "We've been training so much over the past month."

"Look, that's not the issue." Shinji said. "If the threat of an Angel gets you better soon, I'm all for that." Shinji sighed. "But what's going to happen to you guys?"

"The doctors say we're severely dehydrated and need saline drips." Misato said. "Something about continued vomiting could be a danger to our health. So the medical team will be monitoring us the next few days here at the apartment."

"But don't worry, we're perfectly fine." Asuka said. "Just focus on being a pilot."

"Yeah… we'll be ok with your help I guess…" Mari mumbled.

Rei slowly got up and hugged Shinji weakly. "Be safe, onii–chan." Rei said quietly as she steadied herself and sat back down.

"I will guys…" Shinji said. "But just so you know, I'd rather be here helping you than having to stay away."

"We get it." Asuka said as she got up. "Now, shouldn't you be at school already?"

"No." Shinji replied. "Kaji called me out sick seeing as I was already two hours late, plus it's the last day before vacation, so it really didn't matter…"

"Well… take these then." Asuka handed Shinji the keys to the Ferrari. "Go have fun, and don't worry about us." Asuka kissed the hazmat suit's helmet and hugged Shinji weakly. "And if an Angel does come… please be careful…" Asuka smirked. "I won't be there to pull your ass out of the fire this time around…"

"If anything happens, I promise to be careful." Shinji said.

* * *

August 10, 2020 – NERV HQ

The Command Center was unusually quiet. With Misato being sick, there was much less banter for Sumire, Hideki, and Midori to listen to between Misato and Kaji. Kaji was also unusually nervous, and instead of casually leaning against the wall while on duty, he was pacing back and forth over the platform, glancing up at the main holographic display and sighing in relief when nothing was out of the ordinary showed up. Yuki walked in to speak with Kaji, something he had been avoiding all day to deal with the pressing concern of making sure n Angel wasn't going to catch them with their pants down.

"Colonel, if you keep pacing like that, you're going to ruin the floor." Yuki said.

"We have unlimited funding, we can replace it." Kaji joked.

"That's not the point…" Yuki sighed. "I need an update on everyone's condition for my superiors… they're very worried."

"We're all worried." Kaji said. "But I presume they're worried for different reasons."

"Being down three Evangelions is very concerning for _all_ of us." Yuki said.

"We've managed with less before." Kaji said. "There were times we barely had two Evangelions ready to sortie at any given time. We can fight with four Evangelions… that's not the issue."

"Then what is the issue, Colonel?" Yuki asked. "In your view anyway."

"The three pilots that are sick are all veteran pilots." Kaji said. "If we had two veteran pilots, I wouldn't be so worried… but we have Shinji and our three rookies. Their inexperience could mean the difference between success and failure."

"Oh… I thought they'd been trained." Yuki replied.

"Training is one thing, but actual experience is another." Kaji said. "But let's hope it doesn't come to that." Kaji sighed deeply as he looked at the screen once again. "But with Misato being out of commission in addition to them… I'm feeling a little exposed."

"Still, I'm sure Ikari can more than handle himself." Yuki said. "And maybe he won't be alone for much longer."

"Right, their condition…" Kaji replied. "Well, they're still in bad shape. Horrible dehydration, and they can't hold any food down for more than ten minutes without it coming back up."

"So they aren't fit for duty?" Yuki asked.

"They're light years from being able to return to duty." Kaji replied. "That's why I'm so damn worried."

"I'll pass the report along." Yuki said. "Though I won't mention what has you worried."

"I appreciate that." Kaji replied. "But why aren't you telling them?"

"It's not going to improve their view of the current situation. It would probably just make it worse." Yuki replied. "So, it would best if they were left to believe what they wanted."

"Well, I appreciate it." Kaji said. "No need for…"

"Colonel, I'm detecting an anomaly!" Sumire reported.

"What?!" Kaji snapped as he looked at the main screen. "Identify!"

"Pattern Orange, Colonel." Sumire replied. "And it's moving towards us."

"Verify the reading with wave form analysis." Kaji ordered.

"Performing the scan now, sir." Sumire replied.

"That's just a formality isn't it?" Yuki asked. "Don't these Pattern Oranges always turn out to be an Angel?"

"I'm holding out hope that it's a false alarm, or something unrelated to what we should be dealing with." Kaji replied.

"Pattern Blue!" Sumire shouted.

"Confirm that!" Kaji ordered. "I want to make sure it's not a false alarm!"

"Pattern Blue confirmed! Being identified as the Twentieth Angel is approaching the city at low speed!" Sumire reported. "Estimated time to arrival at city's northern boundary is four hours fifty minutes."

"Damn it all to hell!" Kaji snapped. "Well… you can add this to your report, Iwasawa."

"I intent to." Yuki said as she began to leave. "If you'll excuse me…"

"Of course." Kaji replied as Yuki left.

"Colonel, what are your orders?" Sumire asked.

"Midori, issue an evacuation order and begin evacuation procedures, have all vehicles and flights sent east away from the danger." Kaji ordered.

"Right away!" Midori replied.

"Hideki, set Level–2 battle stations, and get the AIS on standby. Have it set to track and target that Pattern Blue." Kaji ordered.

"Aye, sir!" Hideki replied.

"Sumire, I need you to get Shinji and Maya up here, and get some scout planes in the air to observe this one. We need some data to analyze."

"Colonel, what about the other three pilots?" Sumire asked.

"Hold off on calling the rookies in." Kaji said. "We need a better handle on this before we pull them in here."

"Colonel, I don't think Shinji should be sent out there alone." Hideki said. "I wouldn't be very fair."

"I'm aware of that, but let's see what this Angel is before we go all out." Kaji said as he turned to leave. "I don't think Shinji can handle the Angel, and manage the rookies all on his own. We just need a plan…"

"Sir, where are you going?"

"I have to make a call." Kaji said. "Sumire, hold down the fort while I'm gone."

"Yes, sir!" Sumire replied as Kaji left.

–––

Kaji was in Misato's office on the phone with the medical team at the apartment. He wanted an up to date status on everyone at the apartment.

"Doctor?" Kaji asked after being on hold for several minutes. "What's their current condition?"

" _I'm sure, they aren't in any condition to fight._ " The doctor replied. " _If that's what calling to find out._ "

"Damn… it is why I'm calling" Kaji replied. "Are they improving at all at least?"

" _Very little._ " The doctor replied. " _They'll still need another day or so to get back on their feet._ "

"Damn." Kaji repeated. "Can they be moved to NERV HQ's Medical Wing?"

" _They can be moved._ " The doctor replied.

"Good, get them here double time." Kaji ordered.

" _Understood, Colonel._ " The doctor replied.

"Can you put the Commander on, please?" Kaji asked.

" _Certainly, just a moment…_ " The doctor replied as the line went silent for a few moments.

" _Hello?_ " Misato asked.

"Hey beautiful, how are you?" Kaji asked.

" _What's wrong?_ " Misato asked. " _You never sound so chipper on the phone._ "

"Well…" Kaji sighed deeply. "It's an Angel."

" _Of course… it would happen when we're short four key people…_ " Misato muttered angrily.

"I'm having you and the kids moved here as a precaution." Kaji said. "We have almost five hours to prep for this one, the evacuation order should be going out any minute now."

" _So, are you calling them in?_ " Misato asked.

"I'm not sure yet." Kaji said. "I have my doubts, as does Shinji… but I don't think he can do it on his own."

" _Don't make me order you, Colonel._ " Misato said. " _Call in all of your available pilots._ "

"Fine… but the others are only for fire support." Kaji said. "Shinji will have enough to focus on without playing babysitter too."

" _Fair enough._ " Misato replied. " _And for the love of everything, be careful._ "

"We'll be fine, Misato." Kaji replied. "I love you."

" _I love you too, Ryoji._ " Misato replied as she hung up.

Kaji put the receiver down and called down to the Command Center.

" _Hello?_ " Sumire said.

"It's me." Kaji said. "Call in all available pilots."

" _Understood, Colonel._ " Sumire replied. " _If I may… what changed your mind?_ "

"A suggestion from on high." Kaji replied.

" _Understood, sir._ " Sumire said. " _Shinji and Maya are waiting here for you._ "

"Tell them I'll be right down." Kaji said as he hung up the phone.

–––

The hills were silent. As the Angel moved towards Tokyo–3, it made no sound. She glided slowly and silently on her course towards the massive power she could feel emanating from Tokyo–3, her brethren.

She was similar in appearance to her brother, Ramiel, though did not sing or whine as she floated along towards her final destination. The Angel looked like a massive, slightly bluish crystal, some 90 meters tall, floating upright, shaped with 12 faceted sides glistening in the sunlight. At either end of the Angel's upright crystalline structure were two tapered ends that came to sharp points, made up of more faceted crystal–like structure.

As she slowly got closer, the faceted points on either end of her body retracted inside, and a middle ring of faceted crystal separated from the top and bottom of the main body, each holding in its center a blood red Core. The rings began to spin slowly in opposing directions with the Cores suspended eerily inside them

Shateiel was ready.

–––

The four pilots were standing nervously in the Command Center, waiting for Kaji to have a free moment to talk with them. He and Maya were in deep conversation with the bridge crew about a significant change in the current situation, which had all the adults very worried. Kaji and Maya walked over to them with stony grimaces, telling them they would have a tough fight ahead.

"So… the Twentieth Angel." Kaji said. "Look like you'll be going into combat sooner than we'd hoped kids."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toji asked.

"It means while you're still trained, you're still not entirely prepared for what's about to happen." Kaji replied. "No offence… but I don't want anyone to get hurt unnecessarily."

"Look, if this has to do with the simulation…" Toji began.

"It doesn't." Maya said. "It's just fighting a well programmed computer simulation and the real thing are very different. Your lives are really at stake this time."

"So?" Toji asked.

"And it's against this." Kaji said as he motioned to Hideki. "Put it on screen."

The screen displayed Shateiel floating slowly along the ground.

"That's the Angel?" Kensuke asked. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, that's it." Maya replied. "This is a live feed from a VTOL monitoring the Angel. We're getting some limited data from it that's concerning, but we don't yet know the full extent of its abilities until we enter combat with it."

"It's just a floating crystal!" Toji snapped. "We should be able to handle it!"

"Doubtful." Kaji said. "Unless you can move your EVA effectively through gravity 1.5 times stronger than normal."

"What?" Hikari asked.

"See that rotating thing on top?" Maya asked. "There's a second one underneath rotating on the opposite direction. Their counter–rotating around the Cores is affecting the gravity in an 800 meter radius around it, making the field stronger than normal. We don't know if it can increase the gravity more, but because it's using an A.T. Field to do this, none of you three have one strong enough."

"So?" Hikari asked. "Can't we still fight it?"

"Not within 800 meters." Kaji said. "You three will be supporting Shinji while he goes head–to–head with the Angel."

"Seriously?" Toji said. "All that training and we're only second string?"

"Unless you want your bones crushed." Kaji quipped. "Now Shinji, you're uncharacteristically quiet there."

"Is the Type–I equipment still attached?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah." Maya replied. "With the Angel's A.T. Field, I thought you may need all the help you could get."

"Yeah, but won't the extra weight cause a problem with… this?" Shinji asked as he gestured to Shateiel on the screen. "The gravity… thing?"

"Your A.T. Field will be more than enough to compensate for the effects." Maya said. "Though movement may become difficult if the gravity increases to any great magnitude…"

"What about us?" Hikari asked. "How can we be of any help when were 800 meters away?"

"Well, that's easy, you'll also be getting some heavy weapons of your own." Kaji said. "Maya's better acquainted with the weapons systems, so she can explain."

"So, while Shinji and Unit–01 will be utilizing the Type–I Offensive A.T. Field Control Equipment, the rest of you will be using something as well." Maya explained. "Hikari, you and Unit–06 will using the Type–G Precision Targeting Equipment paired with our old Positron Rifle from 2,500 meters away from the interception site, from the west so the sun will be behind you."

"What about us?" Kensuke asked.

"As for you two, you'll both be getting a variation of the Type–E/2 Heavy Armament Equipment. Like Shinji's additional armor, movement will be slowed somewhat with the extra weight, but its more than manageable." Maya continued. "Kensuke, Unit–04 will be using the Type–E/2A which has a pair of large caliber Quad–Barrel Rail Guns loaded with special exploding Anti A.T. Field rounds, with some fifty Anti A.T. Field missiles. As for Toji, you and Unit–03 will be using the Type–E/2B which uses a pair of specially designed combo positron/beam rifles. The beam is surrounded by the positron stream, adding extra penetrating power to the weapons. It also has the same fifty Anti A.T. Field missiles as a secondary armament."

"So, what's the whole plan?" Shinji asked.

"The interception zone is located ten kilometers from the city's northern boundary." Kaji said. "There, Shinji will confront the Angel head on with Unit–01. Hikari and Unit–06 will be stationed approximately 2,500 meters to the west of the Angel for long distance precision fire support as Maya mentioned. Toji, you and Unit–03 will be stationed 1,250 meters northwest of the Angel with a clear line of fire. Kensuke, you'll be stationed to the northeast at a similar distance with the same clear line of fire."

"So, what are we looking at for offensive abilities?" Shinji asked. "Is it going to be like Ramiel?"

"Ah, you noticed it too." Kaji said. "The similarities."

"Yeah, it's creepy." Shinji said. "But two Cores is a problem, isn't it? Won't it regenerate like Israfel did?"

"We have no idea if the Cores are linked or not." Maya replied. "And so far the only data we have is that it can manipulate gravity with its A.T. Field."

"Is the gravity anything like Leliel's?" Shinji asked.

"No." Maya replied. "There is no Sea of Dirac waiting for you. It's just a plain gravity field, so it's slightly less worrisome."

"So, we have three hours before you launch." Kaji said. "Maya, how long until the other equipment is installed and tested?"

"Less than two hours." Maya said. "Then we'll be clear for launch."

"Alright, so go get ready and relax for a it, and be ready in ninety minutes, understood?" Kaji asked.

"Yes, sir." Shinji replied.

"Good." Kaji said with a smirk. "Dismissed."

–––

In the locker guys' locker room, things were quiet. Shinji was used to the stress before battle, and had an idea of what to expect, while Toji and Kensuke didn't necessarily know what was coming. As Shinji got his plugsuit on for what seemed like the millionth time, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey… Shinji?" Kensuke asked. "Is it really as bad as they said it is?"

"Probably not." Shinji said reassuringly. "Misato always says to plan for the worst and hope for the best, so they're just trying to keep us from being reckless."

"But it's a crystal!" Toji said. "It can't be that dangerous…"

"If I remember correctly, you two almost died from a floating vagina with tentacles for arms." Shinji quipped. "Or did you forget?"

"No… but I wouldn't call it a vagina, more like a dick." Kensuke replied.

"Well whatever it was, it didn't look that dangerous either." Shinji said. "None of them look dangerous, but they are. Just don't forget that." Shinji sighed. "And whatever you do, don't get too confident… it tends to lead to disaster."

"Personal experience?" Toji asked.

"More than one." Shinji replied.

"So, are you ok being the only one going against it?" Kensuke asked.

"It's not about me going up against it." Shinji replied. "We're not supposed to be taking any unnecessary risks, so you guys being farther away is going to keep you safe."

"Well, what about you?" Toji asked. "Who's keeping you safe?"

"You guys." Shinji said. "If I need out, you guys open up and put it down."

"That's it?" Toji asked.

"Well, it's not as easy as it sounds." Shinji said. "Nothing in this job is."

–––

Kaji was standing nervously behind the bridge crew in the Command Center. He was stating at a feed in the Cage as Unit–01, Unit–03, Unit–04, and Unit–06 were moved into their launch positions. Yuki was standing awkwardly behind him, unsure of what to do or even what to say.

"Colonel, do you mind if I stay here to observe the battle?" Yuki asked.

"As long as you don't try to order me around, I don't mind." Kaji replied. "Just observe and relax, everything will be dealt with shortly."

"Understood, Colonel." Yuki replied. "And thank you."

"No problem." Kaji replied. "Ok, let's get down to business… final checks." Kaji said. "Midori, evacuation status?"

"Block captains and military personnel report all civilians have been moved from the city or are in emergency shelters, Colonel." Midori replied.

"Excellent." Kaji said. "Hideki, city status?"

"Level–1 battle stations have been declared and the city is in combat mode." Hideki replied. "The AIS is online, all weapons are tracking the Angel, and will engage immediately if it comes into range."

"Great work." Kaji said. "Sumire, the status of the intercept zone?"

"The Positron Rifle is in position awaiting Unit–06's arrival." Sumire replied. "Markers have been placed to mark the position for Unit–03 and Unit–04."

"Well, this is looking up." Kaji joked. "Maya, Evangelion status?"

"Unit–03, Unit–04, and Unit–06 are all equipped for ranged combat." Maya replied. "And Unit–01's new armor is as ready as we can get it."

"Awesome!" Kaji exclaimed.

"So, is that it?" Yuki asked. "Just some final checks?"

"Unless one of us is suiting up to go out there, yeah, this is all we can do." Maya replied. "This is really as normal as these encounters get."

"Really?" Yuki asked.

"Yeah, really." Kaji replied. "I need an update on the Angel's position, Hideki."

"The Angel is still heading towards us at constant speed." Hideki reported. "It will be in the intercept zone in thirty–five minutes."

"So, are you sure no one of the other pilots…?" Yuki began.

"Yes, I've checked twice since they were brought in." Kaji said. "So, we just have to trust these guys to do their level best."

"If you say so." Yuki said.

"As the acting Commander, yes, I do say so with the support of our actual Commander." Kaji replied. "Launch status, Sumire?"

"Launch pads locked in place… all four Evangelions are running on external power… closest intercept point has been selected… launch paths are clear and open… all systems online… verified all systems online… board is green." Sumire reported. "Evangelion Unit–01, Unit–03, Unit–04, and Unit–06 are all cleared for launch at your discretion, Colonel."

"Great!" Kaji said proudly. "Sounds like we can take off now. Kids… gonna need to know your launch status."

" _Ready to go._ " Shinji said.

" _Let's do this!_ " Hikari replied.

" _Yeah, let's go kick that Angel's ass!_ " Kensuke replied excitedly.

" _Whenever you're ready…_ " Toji muttered.

"Good… really good…" Kaji said. "Good luck kids, and be careful. Shinji, remember, if things go south, fall back and regroup."

" _Understood._ " Shinji replied.

"Alright, let's light this candle… LAUNCH!" Kaji ordered as the four Evangelions were shot up towards the surface.

–––

As the Evangelions reached the surface, they were released from the launch platforms and began to move individually to their designated positions. Kensuke was excited, though after talking with Shinji in the locker room also a bit nervous, but that still couldn't stamp out his overall excitement.

"Weapons safeties are engaged, and location marker set… navigation package loaded." Kensuke muttered excitedly. "Damn, this is gonna be fun!"

As Kensuke began to move towards his designated firing zone, some ten kilometers away, he found his Evangelion a bit harder to move than he imagined.

"Uh… Shinji?" Kensuke asked. "Is it supposed to move this slowly? It moved so much faster in the simulations."

" _That'll probably be the extra weight, Kensuke._ " Shinji replied. " _Right, Maya?_ "

" _That's correct._ " Maya said. " _You'll just have to concentrate harder on moving, like you're carrying a hiking backpack or something like that._ "

" _This is one hell of a hiking backpack._ " Toji quipped. " _One that could probably level a whole city._ "

" _An Evangelion on its own could level a city._ " Maya replied. " _However, instead of focusing on the destructive power, why not focus on the task at hand?_ "

"Right, sorry." Kensuke replied. "So, how long will it take us to get to our positions?"

" _About thirty minutes._ " Kaji said. " _Just stay off the beaten path and you encounter the Angel. And again, please be careful._ "

"Roger that." Kensuke said as he continued slowly on his way.

–––

Asuka was sitting impatiently in her hospital room. After being dragged from the apartment and settled into a room with other three, Asuka just couldn't get comfortable. Knowing that Shinji and the others were out facing the Angel, while her Unit–02 was stationed not that far from here, she was unable to do anything, which pissed her off.

"What the fuck is the point of being here?" Asuka asked. "We can't do anything to help, so why torture us like this?!"

"Because we're still sick." Rei said.

"And because the Angel wouldn't be that far from the apartment." Misato said. "Kaji thought it best to move us here."

"Why, I'd rather watch them kick this thing's ass!" Mari said. "Better than sitting here on our asses with nothing to do other than waiting to be rehydrated like space food."

"Look you three, while exceptional pilots would be more of a hindrance than the rookies in your current condition." Misato said bluntly. "I'm sorry you're upset, but that's just the way it is."

"But I hate not being able to help, or at least see how he's doing!" Asuka protested.

"Asuka, we can't afford to get everyone sick in the Command Center just so you can watch your boyfriend fight from the sidelines!" Misato quipped.

"If I had my way I'd be out there with him!" Asuka snapped as she stood up quickly. "I'm tired of sitting around… WAHHHHHHH!" Asuka lost her balance and fell back into the chair she'd risen out, slamming her elbow into the chair's metal arm.

"In that condition, I doubt you'd be of much help to onii–chan." Rei said. "The best we can hope for is that they finish this quickly."

"Yeah, whatever…" Asuka grumbled as she rubbed her elbow. "I just hope that idiot's being careful…"

–––

A short time later, Shinji was waiting patiently for Shateiel to arrive. He stood in full view right in Shateiel's path, ready to engage the Angel when she arrived. Shinji was waiting until the last possible moment to deploy his A.T. Field and hopefully catch Shateiel by surprise and take her out in a single attack.

"Ok… I can see the Angel." Shinji reported. "It's big and shiny."

" _Just stay calm._ " Kaji said reassuringly. " _And remember the plan._ "

" _Shinji, the Angel's gravity field will be on top of you in forty–five seconds._ " Maya replied. " _Brace yourself._ "

"Roger." Shinji replied as he saw some of the trees in the distance lose their usual shape, and begin to sag under the additional weight enforced by Shateiel's gravity field. As the field made contact with Unit–01, Shinji felt the change as his body began to shake under the strain. He could hear the armor creaking as Unit–01 shrunk under the additional pressure.

" _The Angel's not reacting…_ " Maya said. " _Shinji, deploy you're A.T. Field!_ "

"Here goes nothing… just gotta focus…" Shinji muttered. "A.T. Field to maximum!"

Unit–01 erupted in a fluttering blue aura. Its eyes glowed purple as it stared down Shateiel. Shinji felt the effects of the gravity fade away as his A.T. Field began to repel it.

" _It seems to be working, Shinji._ " Maya said. " _Unit–01 isn't straining to stand up anymore._ "

" _Shinji, give that thing everything you've got!_ " Kaji said.

"Right!" Shinji replied. "Here I go!"

Unit–01 turned to the side and raised its arm straight out. It held its hand flat as a shimmering ball of energy charged on the palm. As the ball was charging, a large circle of light emanated from Shateiel's lower Core and Unit–01 was sent flying backwards, the small ball of energy flying off into the distance and exploding in a giant fireball.

"WAHHHHHHH!" Shinji screamed as Unit–01 slammed into the ground and its blue aura disappeared.

" _SHINJI!_ " Kensuke shouted.

" _Shinji!_ " Kaji shouted. " _Are you ok?!_ "

" _Shinji, please respond!_ " Hikari called out.

"I'm… I' ok." Shinji muttered. "What the fuck was that? I didn't see or hear anything…"

" _We're looking into that now, Shinji._ " Kaji said. " _But you need to get up before the Angel's gravity field is on top of you._ "

"I… I know…" Shinji stammered as Unit–01 struggled to its feet.

As Unit–01 staggered back into a standing position, its blue aura reappeared, not as brilliant as before, but still no less impressive. As Shateiel's gravity field washed over him again, Shinji and Unit–01 were almost forced to the ground by the unexpected power.

"What… what is this?!" Shinji shouted. "I can barely stand up!"

" _The gravity's increased to twice that of normal!_ " Maya said worriedly. " _Shinji, can you extend your A.T. Field anymore?_ "

"I'll try!" Shinji replied.

Unit–01's weak blue aura flickered brightly several time, but did not stay that way. It weakened further as Unit–01 was pushed further towards the ground.

" _Uh… should we distract it?_ " Toji asked.

" _Now, it may increase the gravity if we do that._ " Kaji said. " _Everyone just hold your positions and_ do not _fire!_ "

" _Understood._ " Toji said.

"Come on, concentrate…" Shinji muttered. "Everyone's counting on me… " Shinji sighed. "What would Asuka say to all this… she'd probably call me an idiot for not concentrating… and I wouldn't want to disappoint her!"

Unit–01's weak blue aura burst back to life, illuminating the ground around it in a soft blue glow. Unit–01 rose to full height and faced Shateiel once again. "Let's try this again!" Shinji shouted confidently.

Unit–01 overlapped its hands in front of it forehead horn and charged an energy attack. As the ball filled out the Evangelion's palms, Unit–01 quickly and fully stretched out its arms in front of itself and fired the attack. It impacted and ripped through Shateiel's A.T. Field, but lost all it strength and fizzled out before it could do Shateiel any damage.

"But… it broke through…" Shinji said as the two crystalline rings began to rotate faster. "Why didn't it… WAHHHHHHH!"

–––

Shinji's scream echoed through the Command Center while everyone watched helpless to respond to his cries for help.

"Maya, what's going on?!" Kaji asked as Shinji continued to scream in the background.

"The gravity field increased to 5.5 time's normal gravity after Shinji's attack." Maya replied frantically. "I think the Angel's retaliating."

"Shinji, increase you're A.T. Field!" Kaji ordered.

"Kaji, it's already at the maximum!" Maya said. "It can't go any higher!"

"Is there anything we can do?" Kaji asked. "Anything to help him?!"

"I… maybe… the Type–I Equipment." Maya said. "I can set the amplifiers to 15% and see if we can counteract the gravity field, or at least mitigate the effects somewhat…"

"Do it." Kaji said as Shinji continued screamed in pain.

"Working on it…" Maya said worriedly. "Come on… please work…"

"I'm sure it'll work, ma'am." Sumire said.

"It has to." Maya replied. "Otherwise…"

"Don't think about it." Kaji said. "Shinji's been in worse situations… he'll pull though."

"Online!" Maya said as Shinji's screaming began to subside. "Shinji, can you move?"

" _A little._ " Shinji replied. " _It's hard to stand up… I feel really heavy… or Unit–01 does… and… I can only take little steps._ "

"Good work, Maya." Kaji said.

"Well… it's not a permanent solution." Maya said as she switched off the comm.

"Why not?" Kaji asked.

"The gravity is continuing to increase." Maya replied. "Unless we defeat the Angel, even with the amplifiers set to 100%, Shinji and Unit–01 will be crushed like soda can."

"Can we overload the amplifiers?" Kaji asked.

"Yes, but only temporarily." Maya said. "It'll give him only an additional few minutes at most… but still, there's maybe an hour or two before…"

"Then we'll just have to kill it quickly." Kaji said as he switched the comm back on. "Alright, Shinji. I need you to get closer to the Angel. Can you do that?"

" _Why do I need to get closer?_ " Shinji asked.

"Your last attack lost power after hitting the A.T. Field, and we're on a time limit." Kaji said. "Point blank is the way to go, unfortunately."

" _Understood._ " Shinji replied.

"But if you think of something better, let me know." Kaji said.

" _Can't we all just attack it together?_ " Shinji asked. " _I mean… they're heavily armed._ "

"No harm in trying…" Kaji said. "Do it."

–––

Toji was sitting anxiously in his Entry Plug and was relieved that Shinji's screaming had stopped. Though Shinji said he was now standing, he could not make out Unit–01 because his view of the purple Evangelion was obstructed by the Angel.

" _Guys, are you still there?_ " Shinji asked.

"Yeah, just waiting for you to tell us what to do." Toji said.

" _And we're hoping you're ok…_ " Hikari interrupted.

" _Yeah, I'm fine._ " Shinji said. " _But we don't have a lot of time to defeat this Angel, so we need to attack it together._ "

" _Why?_ " Hikari asked.

" _The gravity field is getting stronger._ " Shinji responded. " _It's at 5.5 times Earth's gravity already, and from what they told me, it's still increasing._ "

" _That's awful…_ " Hikari muttered.

" _Yeah, that doesn't leave you a lot of room to escape…_ " Kensuke quipped.

"What's the plan then?" Toji asked.

" _You and Kensuke are going to give the Angel everything you've got._ " Shinji said. " _Hikari, you're going to shoot at the Core on top and try to destroy it._ "

" _What are you gonna do?_ " Kensuke asked.

" _Charge another attack and hope it works._ " Shinji replied.

" _Seriously?_ " Hikari asked. " _After what happened last time?_ "

" _There isn't any other choice._ " Shinji said. " _We don't have a lot of time, so get ready._ "

"So, just shoot it?" Toji asked.

" _With everything you've got._ " Shinji replied. " _And Kaji approved the plan as well._ "

"Ok then…" Toji replied. "Arming weapons."

Unit–04 stood tall and braced itself for the weapons activation. It raised the positron/beam rifles and activated the targeting equipment while the missile hatches scattered about the heavily armored exterior opened up.

" _Sending targeting data… adjusting for fluctuations in local gravimetric constant… multi–lock on targeting viable… co–opting with Unit–03 for target selection… all missiles locked on target._ " Sumire said. " _Remove safeties and prepare to fire._ "

"Alright, I'm ready." Toji said.

" _So am I._ " Kensuke added.

" _I have a clear shot of the upper Core._ " Hikari replied.

" _Hikari, as soon as the A.T. Field drops, take your shot on the upper Core and try for the lower Core._ " Shinji said. " _Right, Kaji?_ "

" _You got it, kid._ " Kaji replied.

" _Got it!_ " Hikari replied.

" _Ok then, Toji, Kensuke, fire at will!_ " Shinji ordered.

"Take this!" Toji shouted as he pulled the trigger and his positron/beam rifles fired massive streams of energy directly at Shateiel and their missiles streaked off to their designated targets.

The positron/beam shots and railgun shells hit first, ripping through Shateiel's protective A.T. Field. As the missiles came close, Hikari fired her Positron Rifle and hit Shateiel's upper Core, damaging it. The missiles impacted, shattering and splintering Shateiel's crystalline body, sending shards in all directions

" _Awesome!_ " Kensuke shouted as Toji turned and saw the flashes of railgun tracer rounds fly towards and slam into Shateiel's body.

" _Keep firing!_ " Shinji ordered.

"Right!" Toji replied as he continued to send beam after beam at Shateiel's body. The continued barrage of weapons fire began chipping away at Shateiel's exterior, pot marking it, and taking away tis distinctive sheen.

" _I don't have a clear shot on the lower Core!_ " Hikari said. " _The computer can't calculate a firing solution!_ "

" _Then this'll have to do!_ " Shinji shouted as several dozen bright yellow orbs of light appeared around Shateiel. " _TAKE THIS!_ " Toji watched as all the orbs flew at Shateiel and exploded on contact, creating a bright yellow lash that blinded him. As the dust cleared, Toji's face fell as he saw Shateiel still floating there, and now appearing unharmed.

"What the fuck?!" Toji shouted. "How is it healed?!"

" _The second Core!_ " Shinji shouted. " _Kensuke… Toji… retreat!_ "

"We're not leaving you!" Toji shouted back.

" _Yes you… WAHHHHHHH!_ " Shinji screamed.

"Shinji?" Toji asked worriedly.

" _I said, go!_ " Shinji shouted back.

" _You heard him, cease fire and fall back!_ " Kaji shouted. " _Unit–03, Unit–04, that means you!_ "

"But…" Toji protested.

" _Now!_ " Kaji ordered.

–––

Kaji stared in disbelief at the main monitor, which was displaying the gravimetric effects of Shateiel's gravity field, which was expanding after the recent attack.

"Well… that worked well…" Kaji muttered.

"Amplifiers are at 40% and holding." Maya said. "This level should work for now."

"So we have 60% of those amplifiers to play with, is that it?" Kaji asked.

"The long and the short of it, yes." Maya said.

"And what's the current situation?" Kaji asked.

"Gravity has increased to 20 times normal levels and still rising." Maya replied. "And the field has expanded by 200 meters in all directions… encompassing a 1,000 meter radius."

"Great… now we have more problems to deal with…" Kaji said angrily. "Can this day get any worse."

"The field is continuing to expand, slowly, but it will double from its current size in less than two hours." Maya replied.

"Great…" Kaji muttered. "Do we know how long Shinji can survive under that strain?"

"None." Maya replied. "I can't even give you an estimate…"

"Contact the Medical Wing and ask them for an opinion on what happens with that much gravity on the human body." Kaji ordered.

"It'll only be theoretical…" Maya replied. "It's not like any human has ever been exposed to this kind of force before…"

"Doesn't matter." Kaji said. "We need a dead stop time limit on when to order an N2 strike to pull him out of there."

"Do you want him to reverse course and leave?" Maya asked.

"No… I'm just not sure what to do." Kaji said. "If the gravity field is expanding and getting stronger, his best bet is to try and get closer and destroy the Angel up close."

"Well, there is a dead zone close to the where the Angel is." Maya said. "It would be safer there, but it would also put him extremely close to the Angel."

"Well, at least he won't be turned into a pancake." Kaji quipped. "Sumire, have Toji and Kensuke move towards Hikari's firing position and reinforce her. Make sure the gravity field is clearly marked for them to avoid."

"But they won't be able to assist Shinji from that position." Sumire replied.

"It wouldn't do any good." Kaji said. "All the attacks have only caused the gravity to increase. Unless we can strike it down in one hit, it won't do any good."

"Understood." Sumire replied.

"I'll keep adjusting the amplifiers to keep Shinji out of any immediate danger." Maya replied. "Though I don't know how long I can keep up the adjustments."

"Just keep it up as long as you can." Kaji said. "Now all we need to hope for is a miracle."

–––

Asuka and the others were sitting quietly in the Medical Wing. While they were trying to watch TV, alarms kept going off out in the hallway and there was a lot more talking than Asuka remembered. Unsure of what was going on, Asuka grabbed her I.V. stand to help herself up and walked to the door and listened.

"Asuka, sit down before you hurt yourself again." Misato said.

"Can you shut up, I'm trying to listen!" Asuka hissed.

"Fine… whatever…" Misato replied. "Not like you can do anything about it, anyway…"

"Gravimetric effects on a human body…" Asuka muttered. "Why would they be talking about that…?"

"Princess, stop worrying so much!" Mari said. "I'm sure puppy has everything under control."

"But they're talking about someone's body being subjected to intense gravimetric forces!" Asuka snapped. "Out of the four of them, who do you think is most likely to be the one trapped like that?! And you want me to not worry?! Are you retarded?!"

"Asuka, will you calm down?" Rei asked. "Onii–chan is fine."

"No he's not!" Asuka said. "I've got a really bad feeling about this, but none of you are paying attention!"

"He's a trained pilot, he'll be fine." Misato said.

"Are none of you listening to me?!" Asuka shouted. "He's in trouble, I can feel it! It wouldn't be the first time he's gotten stuck in something he can't get out of!"

"Asuka, there's nothing to worry about." Misato said calmly. "Now sit down and relax…"

"NO!" Asuka screamed. "Call Kaji and ask him what's going on and prove me wrong!"

"Asuka, he's in the middle of a fight, we can't…" Misato began.

"Fine, if none of you are going to bother to find out what's going on." Asuka shouted as she ripped her I.V. out of her arm. "I'll go deal with it myself!" Asuka flung the door open and was met with two guards.

"Miss please get back inside for your own safety." One of the guards said. "You're not well."

Asuka glared at the guards in front of her as they repeated their order.

"Miss, you're ill…" The other guard began.

HUUUURGGEHH

Asuka retched all over one of the guards. She had worked herself up so much she'd made herself very queasy, and let loose on the guard again. He staggered backward in shock and couldn't do anything more than stare blankly back at Asuka. The other guard ran to get help and Asuka took her chance and jabbed her I.V. stand into the stunned guard's gut, taking him down.

"Disgusting…" Asuka muttered as she stepped over the downed guard and shook her head. "But… they moved…" Asuka said.

"Asuka, get back here!" Misato called from the doorway as Asuka jogged off unsteadily.

"Fuck that!" Asuka shouted back. "If Shinji's in trouble, I'm helping him out!"

–––

Shinji was gritting his teeth in pain as he stood surrounded by the immense gravitational forces being given off by Shateiel. Unit–01, even with the amplifiers on, was still having some trouble staying upright, and was moving forward at a snail's pace. Shinji was even having trouble breathing as the LCL was being partially compressed by the gravity.

" _How're doing, kid?_ " Kaji asked.

"Been better…" Shinji muttered. "Having trouble… breathing…"

" _LCL pressure is up 12%._ " Maya said. " _It would be a little more difficult than usual._ "

"Is there… a new… plan?" Shinji asked.

" _Not yet._ " Kaji said. " _We just need you to hold on._ "

"I'm not… sure…" Shinji began as he looked towards Shateiel. "Wait… it's… attacking!"

A large circle of light emanated from Shateiel's lower Core and Unit–01 braced itself as a wave of energy passed it by. Shinji felt the Evangelion rattle and the armor creak as the wave of seismic energy passed over him.

" _You ok?_ " Kaji asked.

"It passed… right by." Shinji replied. "No… damage…"

" _Ok, we'll come up with something._ " Kaji said. " _Just keep trying to move towards the_ _Angel._ "

"Please hurry…" Shinji replied as another attack was deflected by Unit–01's A.T. Field. "I keep… feeling… heavier…" Shinji breathed heavily. "I'm starting… to lose… feeling… and my body… hurts…"

–––

Asuka had made it all the way to the elevators before anyone caught up to her. With her back cornered against the elevator bank, Asuka frantically hit the elevator call button and did the only thing she'd knew would work at keeping them at bay and buy her some much needed time.

HUUUURGGEHH

Asuka vomited all over the floor in front of her and wiped her mouth defiantly.

"Anyone gets any closer, and you'll get that all over you!" Asuka shouted. "And I promise you'll regret it because this stomach bug sucks major ass!"

As the gathered nurses and security staff stepped back the elevator dinged behind her and Asuka stepped inside and slammed the "close button" until the doors sealed in front of her. A few moments later, Asuka found herself near the Cage and rushed towards it. She went inside and saw Unit–02, still equipped with the Type–I Equipment stowed in front of her. Her Entry Plug was stored next to the Evangelion, and Asuka rushed over to it.

"Good… the stuff is still attached." Asuka said. "This should be easy…" Asuka limped over to the crane and looked at the controls. "How the hell do I operate this damn thing?" Asuka looked over and saw the Entry Plug was still attached to the crane. "Ok… so I need to be in it… but I have to put it in…"

"Just go get into the Entry Plug." Misato said, appearing behind Asuka and startling her.

"Wha…?" Asuka replied. "Where the hell did you…?"

"Look, you were right." Misato said. "The doctors gave me the details of what's going on, and Shinji needs help… and seeing as you're on your feet, you're going to help him."

"So, what… you're operating the crane?" Asuka asked.

"Well, how else do you think you're going to get in?" Misato asked.

"So how bad is it?" Asuka asked.

"Long story short… The Angel putting out a gravity field that's crushing him." Misato replied. "So… no time to waste."

"Great… he always gets caught up in the most ridiculous position…" Asuka muttered as she climbed into the Entry Plug. "And Misato… thanks."

–––

Back in the Command Center, while monitoring Shinji's slow progress towards Shateiel, Midori got a message from the Cage.

"Uh… Colonel…?" Midori said worriedly.

"Yes?" Kaji replied a she kept his gaze fixed on Unit–01's progress.

"Unit–02 is online." Midori said. "And it's being moved into launch position…"

"Colonel, I don't recall you authorizing a launch…" Yuki said.

"I'm very aware of that, thank you." Kaji replied.

"Sir, Unit–02 is in launch position." Sumire reported.

"Yes, but who sent it there?" Kaji asked.

" _I did, Colonel._ " Misato said over an open channel.

"Misa… Commander, shouldn't you be resting?" Kaji asked.

" _No, things were looking dire, so we're releasing Plan B._ " Misato replied.

"Plan B…?" Kaji muttered.

" _Asuka broke out of the Medical Wing, so I followed her._ " Misato chuckled. " _She puked on a guard and threatened to repeat the process again if anyone tried to stop her._ "

"Gross…" Hideki muttered.

"Seriously?" Maya asked.

"That… sounds like her…" Kaji replied cautiously. "Is Asuka aware…?"

" _Yes, Kaji, I'm aware of the pile of shit that baka of mine has gotten himself into._ " Asuka replied. " _So clear me for launch already, cause there isn't time to tell me no!_ "

"Asuka, you're not well…" Kaji said. "This could…"

" _I don't care._ " Asuka replied. " _He wouldn't let a stomach bug stop him from coming to save me… he ripped free of wall restraints once to come out and save me from my own stupidity…_ "

"Asuka, you could die!" Maya said. "Please, rethink this!"

" _If I die in the attempt, so be it._ " Asuka replied. " _But I ain't going down without a fight!_ "

"Asuka…" Maya began.

"Don't bother." Kaji interrupted. "Her mind is made up, and she's not changing it. Just get amplifiers set up." Kaji sighed. "Sumire, clear a launch path and get her as close as possible."

"Right." Maya replied.

"Understood, Colonel." Sumire replied.

"Asuka… good luck, and stay safe." Kaji said reassuringly.

" _Don't worry about me, I'll be fine._ " Asuka replied. " _I have a half–cocked plan and everything._ "

"You wouldn't be an Evangelion pilot without one of those!" Kaji quipped.

"Path is clear and locked in, Colonel." Sumire reported. "Awaiting your order."

"Ready to go, kid?" Kaji asked.

" _Do you think I'm here for my health?!_ " Asuka snapped.

"Yeah… stupid question…" Kaji replied. "Give 'em hell, Asuka… Evangelion Unit–02… LAUNCH!"

–––

As Unit–02 slammed to a stop on the surface and was released from the launch elevator, Asuka could see Shateiel in the distance. She could see Unit–01's figure silhouetted in front of the Angel, and it appeared to be stationary. Its A.T. Field was still going strong, but it was flickering a bit, showing Shinji's fatigue.

"Well fuck…" Asuka muttered exasperatedly. "Shinji… you are a literal magnet for trouble…" Asuka sighed. "Maya… how is Shinji?"

" _He's vitals are starting to creep dangerously high._ " Maya replied. " _And his A.T. Field is fluctuating just a bit._ "

"What's the gravity?" Asuka asked.

" _50 times the norm, and the amplifiers are at 85% trying to compensate._ " Maya replied. " _But_ _I'm honestly surprised he's still able to stand._ "

"He's not gonna quit." Asuka said. "Cause he's not allowed to die without my permission."

" _Asuka, that's not…_ " Kaji began.

"It's because he knows better than to upset me." Asuka replied. "He hates seeing me upset."

" _Asuka… you are too much._ "

"Shinji doesn't seem to think so." Asuka quipped. "Anyway, I have a baka to save." Asuka closed the channel and saw a notification pop up on her display and clicked to open it. "Hello? I'm kinda busy trying to save a baka."

" _Asuka, what are you doing here?_ " Hikari asked. " _You're sick._ "

"Well, Shinji's in trouble again, and I'm not that sick… so I'm here to save his cute little ass." Asuka joked. "So uh… can we chat later?"

" _Sure, Asuka._ " Hikari said. " _Do you need any cover fire?_ "

"No, just stay alert and away from the gravity field." Asuka replied. "I don't want you guys getting hurt."

" _Copy that._ " Hikari replied.

"Ok…" Asuka said as she closed the channel. "Those amplifiers are online… and now it's time to get this show on the road… A.T. Field to maximum!"

Unit–02 erupted with a massive blue aura, casting bright blue glow on all directions. The ground shook as Asuka coughed in pain. "Ugh… all this power… not used to it…" Asuka muttered. "Just need to focus." The aura stabilized and flowed gently around Unit–02's exterior.

"Ok…" Asuka said as Unit–02 began floating. "Huh… that's new…" Asuka smirked. "Well, this'll make moving a lot easier…" Asuka leaned forward and Unit–02 took off towards Unit–01. "Here comes the pain, you stupid fucking Angel."

–––

Shinji was still straining against Shateiel's gravity. As he was still trying to move forward he caught a red flash in the corner of his eye and looked over to see, much to his surprise, Unit–02 standing next to him.

"What…?" Shinji said as he blinked several times. "The gravity must be getting to me… I'm hallucinating…"

" _Bullshit, baka!_ " Asuka snapped. " _You can't tell when your wonderful and beautiful girlfriend comes to pull your cute ass out of the fire?!_ "

"But… are you ok?" Shinji asked. "Last I knew you were…"

" _I know what I was doing, baka, we don't need to discuss it!_ " Asuka snapped. " _And I'm the one who be asking if you're ok, cause you're real close to becoming a pancake!_ "

"Well, so are you." Shinji said. "Unless you have a plan."

" _Of course I do._ " Asuka replied. " _What do you think, I'm stupid or something?_ " Asuka laughed. " _The tag team attack we talked about the other night… you aim high, I aim low._ "

"Are you sure?" Shinji asked. "I tried, but I couldn't make the attacks work."

" _We're hitting both Cores together._ " Asuka said. " _Don't think about it, just go on instinct like we always do… ok?_ "

"Fine…" Shinji said. "I think I can still do this…"

" _Full power… don't hold back, baka!_ " Asuka shouted.

"I know!" Shinji replied.

Both Unit–01 and Unit–02's auras exploded with a power and intensity similar to an untamed flame. The ground around them turned blue and their energy forced Shateiel to move backwards several meters in surprise. Shateiel fired several circles of light in quick succession, all of which dissipated harmlessly around both Evangelions.

As Unit–01 dropped to a semi–crouched position and drew its hands together near its right hip and Unit–02 outstretched its arms with its fingers spread apart and then slammed its palms together, energy began to gather for both their attacks. Shateiel relentlessly continued to fire seismic attacks at them to no avail.

" _Ready?!_ " Asuka asked.

"Ready!" Shinji replied.

" _Have a taste of oblivion!_ " Asuka screamed.

"HHAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Shinji screamed.

Unit–01 fired a massive beam of blue energy at Shateiel's upper Core while Unit–02 fired a ragged beam of yellow energy at Shateiel's lower Core. Both attacks hit and fractured the Cores into several pieces, only being held together loosely by the squishy innards of the S2 Engine gripping to the outer edges.

" _Come on!_ " Asuka screamed. " _This is bullshit!_ "

"Asuka… why not try that one last attack!" Shinji suggested.

" _Do you think we can do it?_ " Asuka asked.

" _The gravity field's increased to 100 times normal, you need to get out of there!_ " Kaji shouted.

"We can't run!" Shinji shouted.

" _We have to stand and fight!_ " Asuka added.

" _Are you two sure?_ " Kaji asked.

" _Maya, overload these amplifiers for us!_ " Asuka shouted. " _We're gonna need all the help we can get!_ "

" _125% coming up._ " Maya replied.

Unit–01 and Unit–02 joined hands and raised their other hands into the air. Above them, as Shateiel began healing itself slowly, grew a massive blue ball of energy larger than either Evangelion, or even Shateiel herself. As Shateiel got the power back to fight, it was taken off guard by an attack from the west.

" _Well, hurry up guys, you need to finish this thing off!_ " Hikari said. " _We can only distract it for so long._ "

" _Yeah hurry it up!_ " Toji added.

" _Shut up!_ " Asuka snapped. " _We need to focus!_ "

"Asuka, do you think it's ready?" Shinji asked.

" _Well, a kitchen timer isn't going to tell us when it's ready, baka!_ " Asuka snapped. " _Let's do this!_ "

"Yeah!" Shinji shouted as they threw the massive blue ball of energy at Shateiel in unison. The ball slowly enveloped Shateiel, hiding her from view. As the energy ball swallowed Shateiel whole, it exploded moments later, leaving nothing but a smoking crater behind in its wake.

"Well… that actually worked…" Shinji muttered.

" _Did it though?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Oh, it did._ " Kaji replied. " _Screens are clear… the Pattern blue is gone. Nicely done you two… now get back here so we can check you both into the Medical Wing._ "

" _Why?_ " Asuka asked.

" _Because you're still sick, and Shinji's been compressed by a heavy gravity field for the better part of three hours._ " Kaji replied. " _That's an order._ "

"We'll be there." Shinji replied. "I'm glad that's over."

" _You should be._ " Asuka said. " _You could have died!_ "

"I know." Shinji said. "But you saved me."

" _Well, who else is going to cuddle with me?_ " Asuka joked. " _Now let's get back before Kaji rips us new assholes._ "

"Yeah… let's…" Shinji replied as the two Evangelions began limping their way back towards Tokyo–3.

* * *

August 12, 2020 – Comfort 17 Apartments

Mari was sitting in the living room with Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke. The three rookies had come over to see how everyone was doing after the fight. Mari however wanted the opportunity to talk to them about the last Angel attack.

"So… how do you guys feel bout tackling a real life Angel?" Mari asked.

"We really didn't do much." Toji said. "It was all Shinji."

"Then it was Asuka and Shinji." Kensuke added. "They did all the work, we were just sort of… there."

"Tends to happen." Mari said. "Someone always steals the show."

"But we could have helped!" Hikari said.

"You did by shooting at it." Mari said.

"I meant closer support!" Hikari said. "We could have handled it."

"Doubtful." Mari said. "You're A.T. Fields weren't strong enough to hold back that gravity, Shinji's was. And so is Asuka's. You did what you were told and didn't complain, that's the best kind of help there is."

"But Asuka broke out of the hospital…" Hikari began.

"Well, Asuka's stubborn like that." Mari replied. "But she was right, Shinji needed help, and she was well enough to save him, but she knew what she was doing." Mari smiled. "As much as they may deny it, those two are stronger together than they are apart… it their love that gives them the extra kick."

"You've got to be kidding." Toji said.

"Nope… love saved Asuka's life back in the Geofront against those freaks, it helped them remember their pasts, and it helped them kill the Eighteenth Angel." Mari said. "Love makes their power all possible."

"You're insane." Kensuke said.

"No I'm not." Mari said. "Think about their relationship, their connection with their mothers and their piloting skills… it all makes sense doesn't it… it's what the rest of us are lacking when we pilot."

"But Toji and I love each other." Hikari rebutted.

"Yes, and I love Rei…" Mari muttered. "But… their love is strong… it's what got Asuka out of bed and p there in the first place." Mari smiled. "I swear, I'm not making this up… it's literally the only explanation."

"But these are giant robots!" Toji said. "Love is not involved in giant robots!"

"Right… remind me to tell you a story about the Burning Gundam…" Mari quipped. "But the Evangelions aren't robots, their living creatures sealed inside advanced armor with human souls… and their rules are governed by metaphysical biology."

"Ok… it's still not making sense." Hikari said.

"It's a long story." Mari said. "But things are never straightforward with the Evangelions. Get used to that and you'll fit right in." Mari got up and stretched. "But you guys did a great job, so be proud of that."

"Will we ever be able to kill an Angel?" Kensuke asked.

"Maybe." Mari said. "Maybe not."

"That's not very reassuring." Kensuke replied.

"I know, but it's the truth." Mari replied. "You don't want me to lie to you, do you?"

"No…" Kensuke muttered.

"Oh, they're fine." Mari said. "Should be back to full health in no time."

"Can we see them?" Hikari asked.

"Not unless you want to be rehydrated just to heave more of your guts out." Mari said. "I mean, some people are into that kinda thing… and who am I to judge…"

"Just tell them we hope their feeling better." Hikari said as they got up. "I'd rather avoid that…"

"Ok…" Mari said. "See you guys later."

–––

Shinji and Asuka were both lying in bed. After their successful fight, Asuka had tired herself out so much she got even sicker than she was before, as the doctors put it, from excessive overexertion. Shinji on the other hand, after having been squished for several hours, finally succumbed to the virus that had been incubating inside of him since he'd been exposed to it by Asuka and the others. Rei, having already had the stomach bug was immune and was watching over the both of them. Misato had walked in, also immune to the effects to give them some good news about their fight with Shateiel.

"So, how are you feeling?" Misato asked.

"Like death warmed over." Asuka replied. "What's it to you?"

"Well… I wanted to talk." Misato said. "But if you'd rather me go set up a wake instead, I think I can arrange one."

"Oh, shut up and tell us the news!" Asuka snapped.

"So testy all the time…" Misato tittered. "You need to relax."

"I would relax if you got to the fucking point!" Asuka shouted.

"Misato, please stop antagonizing her." Shinji said. "You're not helping."

"Onii–chan is right." Rei said. "They both need rest. So either stop and tell them what you wanted to say, or just go."

"Fine, I'll behave." Misato said. "Anyway, we finished analyzing your data from the fight, and I have some exciting news."

"Here we go again…" Asuka grumbled.

"You two were in perfect sync." Misato said. "Far beyond anything you ever achieved with Israfel. Your sync scores even synced up."

"What, at 150%?" Asuka asked.

"No… 155%." Misato said. "You both dug deep for those… and it paid off."

"So… we were in sync?" Shinji asked. "Perfect sync?"

"As soon as you two started attacking, your patterns matched each other. If there weren't two clearly unique data streams, it would be impossible to tell them apart… they are literally identical." Misato said. "Maya can't even explain it, but it happened."

"Well… I can explain it." Mari quipped from the doorway. "But no one will believe me."

"I doubt you could explain it." Misato grumbled.

"Well, she did create some of this damn technology that created these things… maybe she knows what she's talking about."

"Thank you, Asuka." Mari said. "It's love… plain and simple."

"Bullshit." Misato said.

"Good lord… why is that so hard to believe?" Mari asked.

"I believe you, Mari." Rei said.

"Yeah, so do I." Shinji added.

"You are such the romantic, baka." Asuka said.

"How can you believe that?" Misato asked.

"Love does amazing things." Mari said. "And our A.T. Fields are tied to our very existence, so why wouldn't powerful love or any other powerful emotion make them stronger… or even unified as one… like two people in a relationship."

"Yeah, it can even make ki based attacks work out in the end…" Asuka said bluntly.

"Yeah, you were skeptical about that." Shinji said. "But you were wrong too… maybe you're wrong about writing this theory off."

"Ok, I can't deal with this right now." Misato muttered as she left the room. "But I'll tell Maya your theory… may give her a laugh…"

"Well, at least she's gone." Mari quipped.

"Mari, were you really being serious?" Asuka asked. "Is love really what makes us stronger?"

"Well, it's the best possible explanation." Mari said. "Whenever you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters, GAINAX and the other distributors of NGE related material do. I am simply using them as a backdrop for my fanfic.

Sync Score Rankings!  
Shinji – 155.0% (No Change)  
Asuka – 155.0% (+10.0%)  
Mari – 99.9% (+3.6%)  
Rei – 98.7% (+8.3%)  
Kensuke – 42.7% (+34.5%)  
Toji – 41.2% (+35.7%)  
Hikari – 40.8% (+33.2%)

Today's chapter title comes from the seasons 4 finale of the sci–fi series _Babylon 5_. The episode concludes the Shadow War arc. I used the name because of the evens of the chapter, with the new pilots being forced into battle with only one veteran pilot to fight alongside them, and themselves being relatively untested and unsure of themselves.

Another Angel appears! This time, I took a concept Angel rather than one from _NERV White Paper_ but the results are the same. As the Angel of Silence, I decided that, even though Shateiel was the basis for Ramiel, and was supposed to shot lightning bolts, I've already done that with the eighteenth (Iblis), and thought that powers of manipulating gravity would be far more fun to deal with.

And before anyone asks, Asuka and Shinji, while dealing the killing blow to the Angel use attacks inspired (or for them actually derived) from Dragon Ball Z. First, Shinji tries using the _Big Bang Attack_ , but is knocked down by Shateiel's beam before he can get the attack off. He tries again, and fires a successful _Masenko_ at the Angel, though it's not enough to kill her. Shinji's follow up during the bombardment is the _Hellzone Grenade_. When they damage the exposed Cores, Shinji uses the _Kamehameha_ , and Asuka uses the _Final Flash_ , indicated solely by the arm movements they made. As for the finishing attack, they used the _Spirit Bomb_ to finish off Shateiel. It's mentioned in the chapter by Asuka that manipulating their A.T. Field should be like manipulating _ki_ which is where they get the idea for executing attacks, so this will not be the last time they do this. Also, their auras have changed color with their extended training. Instead of the wild red auras of the berserk Evangelions, their auras are now blue, showing they have gained active control of their Evangelion's latent power and are using that power without motherly intervention.

Now, I chose for the older pilots (sans Shinji) to get sick because it was time to throw everyone out of their comfort zone. Kaji was in literal command of NERV with Misato out of the picture, and Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke, still in training, are now faced with an Angel, and Shinji has no competent backup. This also forces Shinji to be in command, something he's not very good at, and shows his vulnerability when Asuka has to drag herself out of bed to rescue him.

The simulation I used at the beginning was inspired by many different side scroller videogames, chief among them was NGE: Battle Orchestra. I took the basic story mode layout of those types of games and used it to base the idea of eight different Angels having to be fought at varying degrees of difficulty.

Also, the simulation, while it was originally meant to be a small portion of the chapter bloomed out of control when it was written. But the original intent behind it remains to show the combat progress of the pilots as a team, but also display the faults between them which will need to be addressed.

Finally, while I've never specified how the school year work in the world of NGE, it roughly corresponds to the current Japanese school calendar. April is the beginning of the term, considering with the beginning of spring, they basically go to school year round, or at least Tokyo–3 does, because of the Angels. Even in the three years they were gone, the school system stayed the same in order to account for all the days missed because of the mandatory evacuations.

As I said before, and will always say at the end of chapter, please leave comments, as I would like to try to improve the story going forward any way I can. And, hell, constructive criticism is a good thing.

* * *

つづく


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